homer oral or written tradidio

A detailed Summary of homer oral or written tradidio

It is possible, on the other hand, that some lesser use of the new technique of writing was the determining factor in the ability to compose such long and complex poems out of pre-existing and much shorter oral songs. Many critics do not accept this however. The huge gap in quality as well as quantity being the main factor.

In essence, the poems belong to an oral culture, whether or not their monumental form owes something to the main poet's ability to compose with the help of writing. These poems were to some extent transcribed orally too; these were works that continued to be knows, erratically and incompletely perhaps "by heart". Once they were produced, the poems had a stifling effect on their simpler, more typically oral predecessors. The memory of earlier songs and poems were all but obliterated. Among those that contributed to this were the Iliad and the Odyssey. If this was so, then their appearance before the translation from an age of literacy to one of partial literacy seems less strange.

The facts of the oral tradition and the special argument from the similes have shown that the chances of obtaining consistent and accurate information, with little important interference from later generations are exceedingly remote.

Any man never spoke the language of Homer. It is an artifical, poetical construction of phraseology and vocabulary that originated at different dates over a period of at least 200 and perhaps as much as 500 years (Kirk 4). Some parts of it are highly conventional and consist of fixed or formiluar phrases. Precisely how far the formular system extended, and where it merges with the symbolic and repetitive aspect of all language remains a question; but the need for literate poetry of any length to be formular in essence is confirmed by the study both of Homer himself and of surviving oral traditions. The least complex of these traditions and the poorest in expression are also the least formular. This confirms that formality increases the powers of the oral singer. This re

Some common words found in the essay are:
Iliad Odyssey, , Homer Kirk, homeric poems, iliad odyssey, oral tradition, world homer, ability compose,

Approximate Word count = 678
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

join now Save Paper

Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

"Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
Jack M.
"With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
Brian P.
"I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
Sara J.
"I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
Rachel W.
"I love this site!!!"
Marie N.