2. The Odyssey – Intro & Book I

3. The Odyssey – genre and author  The Odyssey was written by a guy named Homer. He was a blind poet.  Many think that his epics are actually the combined work of several poets.  The Odyssey is an epic poem.  An epic poem is a long narrative poem about a hero’s adventures.  Narrative = tells a story.

4. When and where?  The Odyssey was composed in Greece, around 800 B.C.E.  How long ago was it?

5. The Iliad  Homer’s other famous epic poem is The Illiad.  The Illiad presents an episode from a Trojan War.  The war began after Paris, a prince of Troy, kidnapped Helen from her husband, the king of Sparta.  Her husband Menelaus wanted his wife back.  Odysseus was one of his soldiers, and he went to Troy to besiege the walled city.  He came up with a master plan – Trojan horse.  Troy was conquered!

7. The Odyssey  Main character: Odysseus.  The Odyssey deals with Odysseus’ adventures as he makes his way home from Troy.  The story is full of fantastic elements – interference of gods and goddesses.

8. The events in The Odyssey…  … occurred long before Homer’s lifetime.  The values and beliefs, however, were still important in Homer’s world.

9. Storytellers  Epics were not written down and read.  They were told by a master storyteller and passed on to other people verbally.  What problems do you see in this method?

10. Master storyteller  He was a poet with a golden voice who sang his or her great tale in verse (in poetic form).  Many of the story’s details were created as he or she sang the story. This is also called improvisation. 

11. Lit. terms you need to know  Epic poem.  Epic hero.  Epic simile.  Epithet.  Onomatopoeia.  Hyperbole.  Personification.  Alliteration.  Imagery.  Oxymoron.

12. Epic hero  Epic hero is a larger- than-life figure, usually male.  Epic heroes take part in long, dangerous adventures and accomplish great things.  They show a lot of courage and superhuman strength.  Since they are human, they also show some human flaws.

13. Epic simile  A simile is a comparison between two things using “like” or “as.”  Epic simile is an elaborate, very detailed version of a simile.  Homer often used several lines for his epic similes to describe things in great detail.  Epic similes described a character’s thoughts and feelings.

14. Epithet  Brief, descriptive phrases that helped to characterize a person or thing.  Adjective + noun.  Examples: “master mariner,” “old contender,” “wine-dark sea.”  Epithets helped the storytellers remember the words.

15. Onomatopoeia  Definition: – Words that imitate sounds.  Examples: – boom, meow, crash, sizzle, crunch and buzz.

16. Alliteration  Definition:  When two or more words in a poem begin with the same sound.  Examples: “It sounds so sweet…”

17. Personification  Definition: – Giving human qualities to an object or animal.

18. Oxymoron  Definition: – Oxymoron is putting two contradictory words together.  Examples: – hot ice, cold fire, wise fool, sad joy, military intelligence, eloquent silence.  Oxymoron poem link. Oxymoron poem link.  Funny oxymorons: http://www.freemaninstitute.co m/oxymorons.htm http://www.freemaninstitute.co m/oxymorons.htm

19. Hyperbole  Definition:  Hyperbole is an extreme (“over the top”) exaggeration.  Link to examples. Link to examples.

20. Epic hero’s qualities  Think of a superhero that you know.  With a partner, brainstorm the qualities of a hero – both strengths and weaknesses!  Create a word web.