The OdysseyThe Odyssey – Intro & Book – Intro & Book II

The OdysseyThe Odyssey – genre and – genre and authorauthor

The Odyssey was written by a guy named Homer. He was a blind poet.

Many think that his epics are actually the combined work of several poets.

The Odyssey is an epic poem. An epic poem is a long narrative

poem about a hero’s adventures. Narrative = tells a story.

When and where?When and where?

The Odyssey was composed in Greece, around 800 B.C.E.

How long ago was it?

The IliadThe Iliad Homer’s other famous epic poem is The Illiad. The Illiad presents an episode from a Trojan

War. The war began after Paris, a prince of Troy,

kidnapped Helen from her husband, the king of Sparta.

Her husband Menelaus wanted his wife back. Odysseus was one of his soldiers, and he

went to Troy to besiege the walled city. He came up with a master plan – Trojan horse. Troy was conquered!

The OdysseyThe Odyssey

Main character: Odysseus.

The Odyssey deals with Odysseus’ adventures as he makes his way home from Troy.

The story is full of fantastic elements – interference of gods and goddesses.

The events in The events in The The Odyssey…Odyssey…

… occurred long before Homer’s lifetime.

The values and beliefs, however, were still important in Homer’s world.

StorytellersStorytellers

Epics were not written down and read.

They were told by a master storyteller and passed on to other people verbally.

What problems do you see in this method?

Master storytellerMaster storyteller He was a poet with

a golden voice who sang his or her great tale in verse (in poetic form).

Many of the story’s details were created as he or she sang the story. This is also called improvisation.

Lit. terms you need to knowLit. terms you need to know

Epic poem. Epic hero. Epic simile. Epithet.

Onomatopoeia. Hyperbole. Personification. Alliteration. Imagery. Oxymoron.

Epic heroEpic hero Epic hero is a larger-

than-life figure, usually male.

Epic heroes take part in long, dangerous adventures and accomplish great things.

They show a lot of courage and superhuman strength.

Since they are human, they also show some human flaws.

Epic simileEpic simile

A simile is a comparison between two things using “like” or “as.”

Epic simile is an elaborate, very detailed version of a simile.

Homer often used several lines for his epic similes to describe things in great detail.

Epic similes described a character’s thoughts and feelings.

EpithetEpithet

Brief, descriptive phrases that helped to characterize a person or thing.

Adjective + noun. Examples: “master mariner,” “old

contender,” “wine-dark sea.” Epithets helped the storytellers

remember the words.

OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia

Definition:–Words that imitate sounds.

Examples:–boom, meow, crash, sizzle, crunch and buzz.

Alliteration

Definition: When two or more words in a

poem begin with the same sound. Examples:

“It sounds so sweet…”

Personification

Definition:–Giving human qualities to an object or animal.

Oxymoron

Definition:– Oxymoron is putting two contradictory

words together. Examples:

– hot ice, cold fire, wise fool, sad joy, military intelligence, eloquent silence.

Oxymoron poem link. Funny oxymorons:

http://www.freemaninstitute.com/oxymorons.htm

Hyperbole

Definition: Hyperbole is an extreme

(“over the top”) exaggeration.

Link to examples.

Epic hero’s qualitiesEpic hero’s qualities

Think of a superhero that you know.

With a partner, brainstorm the qualities of a hero – both strengths and weaknesses!

Create a word web.