Homeric simile examples

A Homeric (or epic) simile is an elaborate comparison, developed over several lines between something strange or unfamiliar to the audience and something more familiar to them. For example, Homer compares the Cyclops eating the men to a “mountain lion devouring its prey, bones and all.”

What makes a Homeric simile?

A Homeric simile (also called an epic simile) is a formal extended comparison, usually introduced by “as,” “just as,” or “like” and almost invariably containing the phrase “that's how” (or its grammatical equivalent) to indicate the second part of the comparison.

What is Homeric simile in literature?

epic simile, also called Homeric simile, an extended simile often running to several lines, used typically in epic poetry to intensify the heroic stature of the subject and to serve as decoration.

What are epic similes examples?

An octopus, when you drag one from his chamber, comes up with suckers full of tiny stones: Odysseus left the skin of his great hands torn on the rock-ledge as the wave submerged him. And now at last Odysseus would have perished, battered inhumanly, but he had the gift of self-possession from grey-eyed Athena.”

What is an example of a Homeric simile in the Iliad?

The snake and the sparrows is one of the many epic similes used by Homer in the Iliad. that hit from every quarter, breakers left and right. The Iliad, Book 2, lines 468-473. This epic simile describes how the Achaean soldiers respond to Agamemnon's call to arms with a roar like waves crashing against a cliff.

How long is a Homeric simile?

A Homeric Simile is the same thing but longer, usually running around four to six lines, and working as an analogy (long similes) usually comparing a character or action to a natural event. Some of the more profoundly moving moments in The Iliad and The Odyssey revolve around these analogies.

What is a simile in Harry Potter?

Simile is used when comparing two unlike things that is often introduce by the words like or as. There are many sentences that used similes in Harry Potter and Soccerer's stone novel by JK Rowling. A writer uses similes to enable the readers to imagine in their mind what the writer is saying.

What is a simile in Beowulf?

Similes and Metaphors in Beowulf

''The monster's/Thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws'': This is a simile that compares the speed of the monster's thoughts to the speed of his claws.

Is The Odyssey an epic simile?

The following example of an epic simile comes from Homer's The Odyssey, as translated by Robert Fitzgerald. The simile is an extended comparison between the way the sea pulls Odysseus out of the rocks and the way a fisherman pulls an octopus out of its lair.

What is a simile in Cinderella?

"She clambered so nimbly between the branches like a squirrel." This is a simile because it compares Cinderella with a squirrel, using like. It helps the readers know how Cinderella climbed the tree.

What is an example of a simile in Macbeth?

Look like th' innocent flower, But be the serpent under 't. In this simile, Lady Macbeth exhorts her husband to conceal his murderous intentions with innocent behavior, similar to a snake lurking beneath a harmless flower.

What is an example of a simile in the Odyssey?

like the thin glistening skin of a dried onion . . . In this simile, Odysseus (disguised as a stranger) compares the perfect fit of his tunic to the shiny skin of an onion, a description that pleases Penelope because she made the tunic.

What are some similes in Homer's Odyssey?

"They speared the crews like fish and whisked them home to make their grisly meal" (10.135-136) (Simile) Odysseus uses this simple simile to convey how mundane and commonplace the brutalizing and disregard of human life was for the ruthless Laestrygonians.

What makes a poem Homeric?

The term “Homeric” is used to describe the poetry of Homer and any later works written in the same style or form. These poems use heroic characters, themes, and often include elements of Greek mythology.

What are three important elements in Homer's epics?

Three important elements of the plot of each epic are the Trojan War, the heroism of Odysseus, and the interference of the gods.

What literary elements does Homer use?

In The Odyssey, Homer employs most of the literary and poetic devices associated with epics: catalogs, digressions, long speeches, journeys or quests, various trials or tests of the hero, similes, metaphors, and divine intervention.

What are the 3 parts of a simile?

A simile typically consists of four key components: the topic or tenor (subject of the comparison), the vehicle (object of the comparison), the event (act or state), and a comparator (usually “as”, “like”, or “than”) (Niculae and Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil, 2014).

What are 2 famous poems of Homer?

The Iliad and the Odyssey are two of the world's most famous poems but very little is known about their creator, 'Homer'. Historian and writer Daisy Dunn goes in search of the poet of the Trojan War, exploring who Homer was and whether he ever actually existed.

What is Homeric irony?

Two specific types of irony which Homer uses are situational and dramatic irony. Situational irony is when the opposite of what is expected happens. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more than one or more characters know.

What is Homeric style?

Clear, Poetic, Epic

But if you look at learning Homeric style like learning a new dialect, it won't take you long to get the hang of it. Once you get past the initial strangeness, you'll see that Homer's work is almost never complicated for its own sake. He just says things in a very clear and direct way.

What is the main theme of Homer's The Iliad?

Love and friendship, fate and free will, and honor are the main themes of Homer's The Iliad. All three themes follow Achilles and the other main characters of the epic poem. We see how Achilles' friendship with Patroclus and his hunger for honor guides much of the epic, which lead to both his and Hector's demises.

What were Homer's two main epics?

Homer (/ˈhoʊmər/; Ancient Greek: Ὅμηρος [hómɛːros], Hómēros) (born c. 8th century BC) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the most revered and influential authors in history.