Creative Writing: Greetings, I Am Homer

Many have deemed Homer and Hesiod the “founding fathers” of Greek epic poetry and philosophical writings. Both writers’ careers flourished around 8th century B.C, and were immense influences in the world of Greek philosophy. Hesiod focuses on more traditional origins of life for his stories and ensures that the creation of the world and its rulers are embodied in his works. Homer has been considered one of the most influential philosophical writers for centuries by recognized philosophers. He wrote about principles in battle, governance, counsel, sports, the home and life in general that the Greeks looked to in praise. While both of the authors were similar in writing style, they differ vastly in the messages of their poems.

Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey” reveals many aspects of ancient Greek life and culture through character and plot. Through each of the tales circling the life of Odysseus and the Greek people, Homer depicts the history, legends, values, and merits of the ancient Greeks. Greek culture is known to be one of the most flavored and thorough in history, and each facet of it—from religion to ideology to mentalities and beliefs.

Homer is believed to have lived around 8th century B.C. Ironically, Homer’s life coincides with the earliest known manuscript of the Holy Bible, the Codex Amiatinus. Although Homer possibly lived during the rise of very significant biblical prophets such as Amos, Hosea, Zachariah, Isaiah and Jonah, Homer writes his epic poem, The Odyssey, in a strictly pagan method. Both The Odyssey and the Holy Bible praise the virtue of hospitality; however, it is evident that the Ancient Greeks and the Hebrews have contrasting motivations for hospitality. Therefore, it is no surprise that Odysseus’ voyage home was epically arduous.

The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic about the Achaeans’ ten year restriction and ultimate annihilation of the city Troy. This epic is believed to be written by Homer and is one of the oldest works of Western literature.

Homer is remembered as one of the greatest individuals to have ever lived and the present day society contains a great deal of concepts that he discussed. His poems have served as inspiration for many individuals who succeeded him and continue to trigger intense feelings in people who come across them. Although the time period that he lived in made it difficult for historians to get actively involved in discussing his life, there are numerous accounts regarding the man's existence. It is actually impossible for one to relate to the poet's life without addressing several stories concerning his background and the attitudes that he adopted.

Homer is known as an influential author and writer that has created many famous pieces of literature. In his book, The Odyssey, he uses his skills to not only keep the reader on the edge of their seat, but to help us educate ourselves about the meaning of a true hero, he incorporates life lessons one of them being, that an individual does not have to be perfect in order to be praised or loved, he presents this to us several times throughout the book in order to convey the importance of loyalty, and compassion. There are many questions regarding his writing and many people inquire about how he captures the essence of a true ‘epic hero’ in his literature.

The Odyssey is a folk epic poem that picks up at the end of another folk epic poem titled The Iliad. Homer, who is said to be a blind poet, has been credited with writing both of these works, however it is believed that the stories of The Iliad and The Odyssey were told verbally for many centuries and Homer happened to be the one who took the opportunity to write them down. Due to it being written centuries ago, The Odyssey uses classical diction that seems odd in modern-day language. The diction used in The Odyssey presents a laudatory tone throughout the poem.

One of the oldest, yet most famous works in literature is the esteemed myth called The Odyssey. This epic, or long, narrative poem, was written by Homer, a blind poet, around 650 B.C. and has truly withstood the test of time. The story focuses around a Greek named Odysseus and his troubles after the long war that took place between the Greeks and Trojans, known as the Trojan War which lasted ten years. The tale is written in three distinctive parts, part one being about Odysseus’ wife and son back home, part two centering around Odysseus’ travels that occurred in the ten years it took him to reach Ithaca, his homeland, and part three, concentrating on Odysseus after he gets home and dealing with the changes that have happened in the twenty years he was gone. Religion was a huge factor in ancient Greeks’ lives and shapes much of the poem through the influence of the Greek Gods.

of Homer’s literary skill and of the impressions he intends to leave with us. This is clear even in the

The Odyssey overall was a good book. It had a great plot, the story was much in

    The characters of Homer’s The Odyssey struggled with the ineffable reality of the world, therefore they created gods that could carry the burden of their hopeless quest for understanding. The characters created by Homer, because of their intelligence, were finally

The traditional subject and formulaic style of Homers poems explain in large measure the fact that the texts as we have them contain a mix of social and political data spanning the entire period from the time stated, the Mycenaean age, through the so called Dark Age down to the final, monumental poets own period, 750-700 B.C. Beyond this confusion of actual social and political material from several distinct historical periods, we cannot exclude the possibility of social and political practices which show the poets wishful inventions.

The Iliad is an epic tale of war and hero’s within the Greek way of life. A

This short essay will identify five traditional epic characteristics that are evident in both the Iliad and the Odyssey.

The ancient Greeks and Romans contributed to western civilization in many different forms of literature and architecture. Both of these cultures produced a variety of literary works which are still studied today. One of the biggest contributions to literature was from the author known as Homer. Homer was known for two of ancient Greece’s most epic poems, The lliad and The Odyssey. Both of these poems have had a profound impact on western literature and continue to influence teachers and authors today. “The lliad and The Odyssey have provided not only seeds but fertilizer for almost all the other arts and sciences in