Part 2:
Homer uses several different techniques to captivate the reader and make them want to appreciate the poem more. Some of these being Literary Devises, epic machinery and a few other topics. Some Literary Devises used in Book 23 are imagery and flashbacks when Odysseus talks about the bed. Homer does a terrific job painting a picture of the bed and how it came to be. He flashbacks to the time when Odysseus created the symbolic bed: "there was a branching olive-tree inside our court, grown to its full prime, the bole like a column, thickset. Around it I built my bedroom, finished off the walls with good tight stonework, roofed it over soundly and added doors, hung well and snugly wedged...clean-cutting the stump bare from roots up, planing it round with a bronze-adze- I shaped it plumb to the line to make my bedpost, bored the holes it needed with an auger". Whenever I read this part, I can actually envision the bed and how Odysseus made it with his two bare hands. This is what Homer is known for. His intense skills of imagery and placing the reader back to a time of significance. Homer also uses a lot of Epic Machinery in his poem. One of them is histories and descriptions of specific artifacts and this is already explained above with the history of the bed and how it came to be. This allows the reader to see the significance in an artifact that is spoken so much about.
The last thing that Homer uses in his poem is a theme or rather an observation that I have noticed whether or not it has to do with host-guest relationships or some other idea. I've noticed that every time that someone asks for information or wants to know a story of the past, the host or whoever is being asked has no choice but to tell what happened. They always say "I'll hide nothing" or "I'll hold back nothing". This happened several times through out the poem like when Telemachus visits Nestor and Menelaus, they both tell him that they will tell him the whole story and later on in Book 23, when Penelope asks Odysseus to tell her of his journey, he also tells her that he will tell her everything.
Guiding Question:
1. Do you think there is a significance of how the bed was made which makes it so sacred and praised?
2. Do you think there might be a rule stating that if asked a question, one must not hold back anything? Or do you think it's just a cool incidence that every time someone asks for information, the host says "I'll hold back nothing" and does not hesitate to tell the story?
The bed is truly symbolic since Odysseus had built it up himself. It is one of the most intimate secrets shared between himself and his wife. The bed is rooted in their house and no mortals can move it. It shows how far apart Odysseus stands away from other men. It is a sacred bond between the husband and wife to know what bed they share.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the saying "I'll hold back nothing", I believe the saying stems from respect. It is disrespectful to cut a story short and not to be totally honest with others. Indeed some secrets are better left untold but if one wishes for information, such information should be given in full detail.
There is significance in the building of the bed. I think what makes the bed so ‘praised’ is the fact that it is built around an olive tree. I remember learning in middle school that olives and olive products were the main crop grown and exported by ancient Greeks, so Odysseus, by building a bed around such an important symbol, is basically saying that he is an important part of Greek society.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it is just an ancient Greek custom to tell the full truth and not selective bits that only make a particular person look better. Because of that, the characters in the epic feel as though they have to honor an old custom.
I agree with what Stephen said about the bed being a symbol of his relationship with his wife. The fact that Odysseus made the bed so it would not be able to move, I think, symbolizes Odysseus and Penelope's relationship and the fact that nothing can come between their love for each other. It is so strong that no man has the power to destroy it. Also, the bed is also obviously where a husband and wife have their most intimate relations, so it sort of creates a new level to their relationship that cannot be matched by anyone else. I think that is why the bed is praised.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if there is an actual rule that says a host must answer any question they are asked by their guests, but I do think there is an "unspoken rule" that is accepted by society about what is acceptable and what is not. I think that a person would be deemed as rude if they did not follow the unspoken rules of society, so that is why they always answer the questions they are asked to the best of their abilities. I also think it might be a standard the gods set that the immortals must meet. So it could also be that they are trying to do what ever they can to please the gods.
The significance of the bed is that no matter how hard anyone tries they cannot move the bed, this suggests and the love between Odysseus and Penelope is forever and nothing can get in the way. No other man could ever occupy a bed that belonged to another man, they would also have big shoes to fill if they attempted to occupy Odysseus' bed. I like what Steven said about the secret that Odysseus and Penelope share, the bed is their most intimate secret.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that everyone says "I will hold nothing back" is part of the guest-host relationship. The host complies with the guest's request to please them, and to prevent the angering of the gods.