The Iliad is a lengthy poem that tells the events of the Trojan War. The Trojan War is a legendary war that pitted the Trojans against the Greeks (Janko and Kirk 1). The Iliad despite being a very long poem, has a basic structure. Achilles withdrew from the Trojan War after he had quarreled with chief Agamemnon over Briseis (Abel Media, n.p). Achilles was regarded the hero of the Greeks, and his premature withdrawal meant that the Trojans had a chance to defeat the Greeks. After Achilles had withdrawn, disaster befell his companions, and this did not sit well with him. Eventually, he returned and helped the Greeks clinch victory in this war. Elsewhere, this long poem is divided into twenty-four books, but this paper is focused on exploring how style is employed in it. Homer employs numerous stylistic devices to narrate the events of the war of Troy. This effective incorporation of style makes the poem easy to read, comprehend and more enjoyable.
There is widespread use of rhyme in the first book of the poem. An example of rhyme is this, “Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring/Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly goddess, sing!” (Homer 4). The words “spring” and “sing” appear at the ends of the two lines, and they carry rhyming sounds. The immense employment of rhyme in the lines of the first book creates musicality in the poem enabling readers to enjoy reading the lengthy poem.
Moreover, Homer is extensively descriptive in this poem. Description is used in “Whose limbs unburied on the naked shore/Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore” (Homer 5). This description is used to show how Greeks treated their dead. The dead were thrown on the shores and left there to be consumed by vultures and dogs. The descriptive style helps to show the cultural practices of the Greeks.
Additionally, symbolism is also used in the poem. It is for example used in the phrase “And Troy’s proud walls lie level with the ground” (Homer 6). This symbolizes the eventual winning of Trojan War by the Greeks. The walls that surrounded Troy was an indication that the city was secure. The tall Trojan walls ensured that people were protected from invasion. However, the Greeks had held Troy hostage for nine years now, and the war trudged on.
Furthermore, words are used intelligently to show the adamancy of chief Agamemnon in freeing Chryseis. The King says that prayers, bribes, and tears of Chryseis’ father were not going to soften his stand (Homer 8). The use of the words: prayers, bribes and tears indicate the level of adamancy that Agamemnon held. All the three mentioned aspects were not going to prompt him to release Chryseis from captivity and back to her father.
After the priest is denied his daughter, he makes a prayer to a god called Apollo. The making of a prayer is a silent conversation with a deity. Homer incorporates silent conversation as a style in the Iliad because it was the way Chryseis could communicate with the deity. Chryseis is imploring Apollo to avenge for him by destroying the Greeks for their refusal to release his daughter to him.
Homer also incorporates rhetorical questions to show the ignorance among the people and that had caused the plague on the Greeks. The prophet asks rhetorically, “For this are with falsehood is my honor stain’d, To teach the Greeks to murmur at their world?” (Homer 11). The prophet asks if this plague had been brought by Phoebus and if it was meant to make Greeks to pray to their deities. The question does not require an answer because it would have been expected that the people would turn to their gods whenever they faced things such as plagues that threatened to wipe them away.
Moreover, Homer infuses repetition in his poem in “To this the king: “Fly, mighty warrior! fly” (Homer 14). The statement is uttered by Pelides and the word “fly” is repeated to encourage Achilles to withdraw from the war and stay away because chief Agamemnon wanted to snatch Briseis from him. Pelides had noted that the chief’s intentions were going to destabilize his relationship with Achilles, and this could have prompted him to withdraw from the war. Being the hero of the Greeks in the Trojan War, his withdrawal would immensely reduce the chances of the Greeks emerging victorious. Pelides encourages Achilles because he felt that this could prompt Agamemnon to reconsider his intentions of snatching Briseis from Achilles.
The use of metaphors is also prevalent in this poem. Pylian is described as; “Experienced Nestor, in persuasions skill’d; Words, sweet as honey, from his lips distill’d” (Edwards n.p). The sweetness of Pylian words is likened to honey showing that he was experienced in using words to calm those who had been overcome with fits of rage. Pylian was expected to use sweet words from his mouth to calm the enraged king. The metaphor is a figure of speech that can be used aptly to denote Pylian’s persuasive ability (Edwards 172).
Additionally, Homer employs personification to show the state the ocean was in. The poet says, “The parted ocean foams and roars below,” (Edward n.p). The ocean is depicted to have a personality and the ability to roar. Personification essentially refers to giving human characteristics to inanimate phenomena like oceans. The roaring of oceans depicts how things had turned gloomy after Achilles had withdrawn from the war. The Greeks feared that they would lose the Trojan War after their warrior had withdrawn.
Another style that the author has employed in this is the use of similes. In Book 2, lines 87-92, the army is likened to bees. Homer then goes a step further to describe the bees and lastly reminds the readers of what was originally being talked about. This use of smiles is called Homeric similes, and the reminding of readers of what is being talked about is necessary because the description of the component that was being compared encompasses so many words.
Another example of a simile is found in book 3 where Menelaos is compared to a wild beast. He is exceedingly eager to get Paris whom Aphrodite had rescued. Homer says this “Menelaos was wandering through the throng like a wild beast” (Moulton 389). The purpose of this simile is to make readers experience how Menelao’s was desperately looking for Paris.
Moreover, metaphors are used and they used as formulaic phrases. In book 1 line 201 the words “winged words” are used (Janko and Kirk 7). Words are depicted to be having wings because they fly from the mouth just like birds. After they get out of the mouth, it is hard to recapture them just as it is hard to recapture birds that have flown away (Edwards 169).
Furthermore, Homer uses the epic genre in developing this poem. The epic refers to long poems whose purpose is to tell stories that incorporate heroic exploits, heroes, and deities (Abel Media n.p). Homer’s Iliad is divided into twenty-four books that are extensively long. Homer’s Iliad is loosely organized because of its length. Not all episodes of the Iliad are necessary for the development of the poem’s main story.
Homer narrates events that are plucked from legends, and that are not the poet’s inventions. The Iliad centers on Achilles who is an important Greek legend in the Trojan War. Homer presents the story of Achilles in an impersonal manner by drawing minimal attention to him as the events of the war progress. Homer has adopted this style since it enables him to narrate extensively about the events of the Trojan War.
Homer uses irony to show the frustration that important characters suffer as they pursue their own happiness. The chief Agamemnon intensifies his efforts to snatch Briseis from Achilles when he clearly knows that this was the hero on whose shoulders the hopes of defeating Trojans lay (Abel Media n.p). This would obviously upset Achilles and his passion for this war would wane. It is ironical that he wants to upset the very man who has the ability to win the war for the Greeks. The king is destined to suffer as he pursues his personal happiness.
Foreshadowing is another style that the author adopts in the composition of the Iliad. The author gives hints of events that are going to take place in the future. Foreshadowing is important because it conveys the message that important events will not be by-passed. An example of foreshadowing is found in book 6 when Andromache is left by Hektor as he goes back to the battle (Hardy 14). Andromache’s maidens mourn Hektor’s return to battle as if he had breathed his last. This mourning is a foreshadowing of Hektor’s death that is beckoning and happens in book 22. Achille’s death is foreshadowed in book 1 both by his mother and himself. In addition, there is a flame that Athene causes from a cloud surrounding Achilles’ head. The flame signals a fire whose origin is a besieged city. The foreshadowing, in this case, is that the besieged city image is what Troy will experience later on, after Achilles has killed Hektor, the hero of this city.
Homer also uses imagery in the Iliad and this is of particular significance to the narrative. Imagery involves the use of images or word pictures. Fire imagery is used in the Iliad to indicate heroism. Achilles’ heroism is constantly depicted by fire. In book 18, Athene causes a flame to come from a cloud that had form around Achilles’ head. The flame appears in the form of a flare. Moreover, in book 18, an armor is made for Achilles and the person who creates this is Hephaistos, who was the god of fire. On the shield, images of fire like the moon, stars and sun are depicted on it (Hannah 488). This depiction serves to show the heroism of Achilles. Later on, the spear of Achilles is compared to the Hesper star that gleams brightly in the dark sky.
Despite the Iliad being very long poem, it aptly incorporates various styles such as imagery, metaphors, similes, foreshadowing, personification, and hyperbole. The uses of various stylistic devices are crucial in capturing the events of the Trojan War. Moreover, the use of various stylistic devices makes the poem easy to read, understand and also enjoyable.
Works Cited
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