Epic and Elegiac Poetry Homer

The Homeric epics make use of a very characteristic form of frame : the world of the similes. Upon closer inspection space turns out to be everywhere in the Homeric epics in the form of small details carefully inserted whenever the action needs them. A first and vital presenter of space is of course the Homeric narrator-focalizer , who in doing so may adopt various standpoints. This chapter discusses the manifestation of space, the form it takes, and the senses that are being appealed to. Homer, celebrated for the vividness of his narrative style, i.e. his making the past present and drawing his narratees mentally into the action, is at the same time a narrator who is hardly interested in informing us in detail about the outward appearance of objects and places. Whatever the form of their description, space and objects without exception are inserted in order to fulfil various narrative functions. Keywords:description; Homer; narrative functions; similes; space

Action (physics) · Aesthetics · Art · Elegiac · EPIC · Linguistics · Literature · Narrative · Order (exchange) · Physics · Poetry · Space (punctuation) · Style (visual arts) · Classical Antiquity Studies · History · Philosophy