"The Iliad"

Poem Review # 110071

English > Analysis
Literature > Greek and Roman

"The Iliad"

An analysis of Homer's "The Iliad" Book IV, lines 422-436.

1,536 words () | 0 sources | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how, throughout the passage in Book IV, lines 422-436 of "The Iliad", Homer depicts the differing military strengths of the Achaeans and the warriors of Ilion, but also notes the mutual fear overwhelming both sides. The paper specifically discusses how Homer uses an underlying layer of rampant war imagery and diction, to paint a picture of the impending conflict between the Danaans and the Trojans.

From the Paper:

"The phrase "beat upon beat" in both lines 423 and 427 sustains this argument by creating a word pattern that imitates the relentless and recurring forward motion of the breaking waves. The first time the phrase appears in line 423, it characterizes the sea constantly battering the shoreline. In the case of this metaphor, "beat" stands for the stroke or blow of the waves against the surface of the beach. However, the second usage of the phrase, in "so thronged beat upon beat the Danaans' close battalions" (line 427), can have a different meaning; here "beat" can signify the sound or pulsation of war drums. This potential double meaning in different contexts and repeated use of the phrase "beat upon beat" and "beat" in the phrase itself strengthens the metaphorical ties between the ocean and the Achaeans and, consequently, the Achaeans seem all the more menacing and comparable to the invincible sea. "