I am sure you have noticed that this line is repeated throughout The Odyssey. It is a beautiful personification of the break of day. I so easily see the individual shafts of pinkish rays of light rising over the horizon as the sun of a new day approaches human eyes. But why is it repeated? When this epic poem was created the technology for writing and printing was extremely limited. As Greek society advanced it became possible for individuals to specialize in how they contributed to their society. Agriculture was productive enough that not everyone had to spend all of their time and energy on procurring food and shelter. Some humans became bards. They specialized in memorizing and reciting from memory this poem and many others. Because of the repetition of lines, the task of these bards was made easier - they did not have to remember as much and had an easier time preserving the poem for future generations of listeners, thinkers, and poets. Can you imagine memorizing this entire poem? I cannot. But when human beings judge that some task is worth their while, they do it as well as it can be done. As I will point out in future posts, this epic poem contains much more than just the tale of Odyssues, the man of many wiles. All of Greek culture is preserved within its words. A way of life, ways to survive, live within this poem. An entire world has been preserved for all of humanity.
Mr. Matluck
Arruuugh!! I hate this line. I understand that it made it much easier on the Greek troubadours of the day, but holy muffins it is making me want to throw somthing!
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