Reading Notes: Homer's Illiad, Part B

The Rousing of Achilles

I know I seem to only write about the description used in these stories, but what I like about this one in particular is the description of grief. Homer goes into such detail the sadness that has overcome everyone. Explaining how the death made everyone cry showed me that to convey a sad moment you must use repetition. In repeating how many people were crying and over come with sadness due to the death of Patroclus the reader is able to understand how pivotal this moment truly is. I also enjoy the presence of Zeus in this moment. Knowing how honored Zeus is, having him react and even speak is crucial to this sadness. I think that in my writings that if I want to convey an emotion it adds dramatic effect by having a higher power interact. Even if a story doesn't involve Gods, I could even put it in the sense that maybe nature can feel the emotion that is going on in the story.

A sculpture of Achilles holding Patroclus found on Wikimedia Commons. 

The Slaying of Hector (end)

This famous scene of Achilles murdering Hector was too good not to write reading notes about. One of the things I like is the description of the fight itself. When homer describes spears being thrown or a sword hitting you can imagine it in your head. I have had trouble writing action scenes in story but what this made clear to me was that the best way to do this is by saying where things are. For example when speaking about Achilles striking Hector with his sword it is said that "by the collar-bone where the neck joins the shoulder" is where he strikes him. This is extremely precise and allowed me to see how exact one must be in describing action scenes.

Another thing I like to convey the action going on was the use of metaphors and similes. These allowed for comparison to other things one could relate to in order to visualize the scene better. For example he compares the head of a spear to an evening star. I think by keeping the comparisons simple and relatable it adds a better image than a drawn out comparison.


I feel like I'm repeating my self a lot with these notes, but I know that a plot is only as good as one conveys it. I think these notes will help remind me how descriptive I must be in conveying crucial moments in my stories.

Bibliography:

Homer's  The Iliad retold by Alfred J. Church (1907).