Comparing The Homeric Hymn To Demeter

The Greek myth is how about how the seasons change and the poem is Demeter talking to Hades. Demeter is talking to Hades about her daughter Persephone and how he kidnapped her and cause the

The Rape of Persephone began as a simple story of peace and unchanging atmosphere. Demeter, goddess of the earth, agriculture and fertility in general, withheld her gifts from the earth in an act of isolation and depression once she lost Persephone. Before tragedy struck, she was loved by all for providing a climate for crops to flourish year round.Persephone held the sweetest disposition and was admired by all who knew her- including the God of the dead, Hades. However, unbenounced to her and her mother, her father Zeus had agreed to the turmoil that would soon ensue. As Persephone quested for the most enchanting flower, Hades, “the lord of the dark underworld, the king of the multitudinous dead, carried her off underneath the earth, driving a

Innocence and maturation are two key aspects of the human experience. The innocent mind allows you to live with less doubt and worry but it leaves you vulnerable to manipulation and people taking advantage of you. Thomas Hart Benton’s Persephone portrays the myth of Persephone and Hades. The Rape of Persephone goes as so; Zeus gives Persephone to Hades to have as his wife. Persephone is out and about and Hades takes her to the Underworld. A heartbroken Demeter, goddess of harvest and agriculture, Persephone’s mom, refuses to grow anything until Persephone returns. Persephone is allowed back but Hades tricks her, making her unable to leave the underworld permanently. Demeter compromises that Persephone can be in the Underworld part of the year but that nothing will grow while her daughter is away, forcing Persephone’s return and creating the seasons. Taking a new turn on the ancient myth, Benton sets the painting in a rural scene and illustrates a bare Persephone lying leisurely, surrounded by greenery with Hades and his chariot lurking behind her. The juxtaposition between the foliage, Persephone’s nude figure, and the wrinkled Hades in the background creates an imbalance between maturation and sexuality with a blithe young woman caught in the middle. Overall, Benton’s Persephone accentuates the bliss of naivete coinciding with the overwhelming malevolence and sexualization present in the world.

Demeter looked for her daughter for months, but tired and sad she sat on a rock for 9 days and nights. Looking as a sad old woman a farmer 's daughter asked for why 's she was sitting on the rock alone. Her father begging his daughter to come back, then the goddess spoke.

In Ovid Metamorphoses, the Roman literature described the ruthless act of Pluto of rape, to seize and carry away Proserpine without the consent of Ceres and in parallel in the Homeric Hymns of Demeter; Persephone was seized and carried away by Hades without the consent of Demeter. The invariant theme that was identified in both the Greek and Roman literature was the loss of innocence of Persephone/Proserpine. Despite the various differences the story was presented, it reinforced the innocence that was stolen from the god of the underworld, Hades or also known as Pluto. Throughout this paper, it will discuss the similar characteristics of the two myths such as the motive that led and encouraged the god of the underworld to kidnap

In the Hymn to Demeter, the daughter of the goddess Demeter, Persephone, is kidnapped by the god of the

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter addresses the fate of Persephone is in the hands of others and is removed from freedom of choice as she is portrayed as a minor. In effect, it is symbolic of the power family holds as the actions of her mother, her father Zeus and her husband Hades determine her path. The text accustoms nickname Persephone throughout the passage as the ‘Core’, the ‘Girl’, or ‘Virgin’. These nicknames assume her role as an underage girl not responsible for her life decisions. The Hymn begins with highlighting the role of the patriarch in a family Zeus as both the head of the family and the other gods who must defer to him as he arranges Hades to take Persephone against her will. As Demeter struggles with the mourn and loss of her child she begins to abandon her reproduction responsibilities and Persephone is ordered to go to the side of your dark robed mother. However, Hades persuades Persephone to eat pomegranate seeds, representing the loss of her innocence as it spiritually bounds her to Hades. Zeus accustomed to be acknowledges as the father of justice and good government rectifies the issue with the arrangement that Persephone remains with Hades however returns to her mother and the Gods for 2 thirds of the year. The Fate of Persephone portrays the common marriage cycle that pertained in Ancient Greece whereby it held the connotation of death for the maiden and submission and adaptation into their Fathers orders.

In the dramatic monologue “The Seven Ages of Man” by William Shakespeare and the myth “Demeter” retold by Edith Hamilton. Both works of literatures contain universal themes that each writer displays in a way that readers will interpret differently. In the the monologue the universal theme is the cycle of life and is compared to that of a play. While in the myth it is the strength of the bond between a mother and daughter.

One of the issues in Homers The Odyssey is understanding the role and function of the goddess Athena. The problem is most pronounced when examining Athena’s duality. She provides Odysseus both her counsel and assistance throughout the story yet she’s also the entity that keeps him exiled from his home. Athena’s role, similar to the other gods, is to correct apparent injustices. “Oh father Zeus and gods and bliss forever let no man holding scepter as a king think to be mild the fatherhood and mercy through his reign. Meanwhile he lives and grieves upon the island of the nymph…” Book 5 lines 9-21. These lines show that Athena is concerned about the injustice that surrounds Odysseus and his son. This suggests that gods can become active in the role of mortals and may aid them to correct inequity through their fate. This paper will explore the obligations Athena had to ensure Odysseus’ voyage home safely as well as the thematic importance of fate in The Odyssey and the intervention and the power of the gods and goddesses. Fate is one of the occurring themes throughout the Odyssey, where the intervention of the gods and goddesses is common due to the triumphs of men and women.

Together, the two patriarchal figures conspire to kidnap and force Persephone to marry Hades. This is done behind Demeter’s back, intentionally removing her from her role as mother. Their actions directly diminish or outright remove the will of Demeter, a symbol of women in Greek culture (The Homeric Hymn to Demeter 29-30). This theme of a removal of female autonomy is mirrored later in the text when Hades tricks Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds. This action is a deliberate attempt to remove Persephone’s ability to choose for herself, condemning her to spend the winter months in the underworld with him. Not only does this subjugate Persephone to Hades’ will, but it also lends justification to the subjugation of women by men (372-400). By removing the sovereignty of the female mind, the myth promotes male authority.

In this essay we will be studying the Homeric Hymns, including the Hymn to Apollo, to Hermes, and to Aphrodite, with particular emphasis on the Hymn to Demeter. Although he Homeric Hymns are of unknown authorship and differ widely in date, the Hymns that we will be focused on, are generally thought to have been composed between the 7th and 5th centuries BC (citation). The Hymn to Demeter is unlike the other Homeric Hymns in that Demeter refuses to submit to Zeus, and channels her own authority through her gift of fertility; Demeter displays power as a Goddess through her motherhood, not in spite of it, and affronts the

Throughout this course, I have learned about what a myth is and all of the themes that fit into myths. The most common themes seen throughout the myths we have studied during this course are fate, pride and hubris, heroism, justice and vengeance, and beauty. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about mythology throughout this course and I have always felt that the controlling question driving this course is, why is mythology so important to us, even today? It is important to know the answer to this question and to know about the different themes seen throughout the myths studied in this course.

Eavan Boland’s poem “The Pomegranate” utilizes the intricacies of the Greek myth of Persephone and elegantly intertwines the story to detail the bond of daughter and mother and the cyclical journey from daughter to mother. The myth of Persephone deeply resonates within Boland due to the versatility and impactful meaning of the story. Which in turn gives the poem a ambivalent and bittersweet emotional narrative with a reflective tone. Boland immediately manipulates the cyclical essence of the poem through juxtaposing the little girl in the myth, Persephone, to the little girl reading the poem, the narrator. The author does this by seemingly mixing the two together as displayed in the following lines, “I can enter it anywhere and have. As a

Ideologies are crucial and meaningful in the culture. This myth has etiology because of the second religious rights that celebrated Demeter and Persephone which for any reason allowed happiness in the underworld, if we're Hercules were to die during the fight with Cerberus (54C.E:146-147). The myth provides the fact that it is true, based on a faith's structure.

In the poem “Persephone, Falling,” Rita Dove portrays the angst of a protective mother who ultimately fails to guard her most prized possession: her daughter. The poems within Dove’s Mother Love illustrate the often strained relationship between mother and daughter through the mythological tale of Demeter and Persephone. While some interpret the poem as delineation of a specific tragedy, it also embodies the modern mother and daughter relationship that struggles to conform to sexism. Specifically, “Persephone, Falling” delineates the capture of Persephone and questions who should identify as the culprit, exemplifying a warning from a present mother to daughter. Within “Persephone, Falling,” Dove details the struggles of motherhood