"The Odyssey"

Poem Review # 112415

English > Analysis
Literature > Greek and Roman

"The Odyssey"

An analysis of the historical relevance of Homer's "The Odyssey".

1,354 words () | 8 sources | MLA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper is based on the Greek epic poem, "The Odyssey", supposedly composed by a blind poet, Homer, probably towards the end of the eighth century BCE. The paper begins with a brief synopsis of the book, whereby the plot and characters are briefly sketched. The book's historical relevance is then analyzed and the paper concludes with several other observations on the influence of Homer on later Western writers. The paper was written using references from several books and journal articles on the issue of ancient Greek culture and Homer's work, aside from the poem itself. The paper uses MLA style endnotes rather than a works cited page.

Outline:
Introduction
Synopsis
Historical Relevance
Other Observations and Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The Odyssey is a product of the ancient civilization of Greece, which historians estimate to have come into existence as far back as 2500 BCE. Ancient Greek civilization has been divided by historians into several ages, which saw differing developments both politically and socio-culturally. The earliest of these was the Minoan Age, followed by the Mycenaean Age, the Dark Age, the Classical Period and the Hellenistic Period. Linguistic evidence suggests that the Homeric epics, which were originally sung by bards who recited them through memory, were first captured in writing at the end of the Dark Age by Ionian Greeks on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor . "

Sample of Sources Used:

Jones, Peter. Introduction to The Odyssey. Homer (translated by E.V. Rieu, 3rd ed.). London: Penguin Books, 2003.
Dunstan, William E. Ancient Greece. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Publishers, 2000, p, 15
Jevons, F.B. "Iron in Homer". The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 13, 1892-1893 p. 26
Long, A.A. "Morals and Values in Homer". The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 90, 1970, pp. 131-2
Lewis, R.W.B. "Melville on Homer". American Literature, Vol. 22, No. 2, May 1950, p. 174