Homer's Odyssey: A CommentarySnider, Denton Jaques
Philosophy
Homer's Odyssey: A Commentary
Snider, Denton Jaques
Epic poetry, Greek -- History and criticism; Homer. Odyssey; Odysseus, King of Ithaca (Mythological character) -- In literature
That is, Wolf regards Homer as a Demodocus, a singer and also a maker
of disjointed ballads and war-songs, the latter pertaining mostly to
the heroes of the Trojan War. These were sung at the festivals of the
people, at the houses of the nobility, and at the courts of kings,
quite as we see the bard singing here in Phaeacia. This fact we may
accept; but the question comes up: Is Homer such a balladist and
nothing more?
Now it is clear that Homer is not a Demodocus, since the latter is not
an epical builder, but a simple singer of separate lays for the
occasion. Mark well that Homer in this book does not unfold the themes,
"Strife between Ulysses and Achilles," and "The Wooden Horse," but
simply alludes to them as well-known; he barely gives the title and a
little of the argument, then drops the matter, leaving us to suppose
that the Bard sang a somewhat lengthy lay, of which the effect upon the
hearers and specially upon Ulysses is duly noted.
Homer, therefore, in this Book as well as in the First Book where
Phemius is introduced, makes the Bard or Balladist merely one of his
figures, and the song one of his incidents, while he, the veritable
Homer, portrays the total environment, showing the court, the games,
the household, the complete Phaeacian world. Here we come upon the main
distinction: Homer's eye is upon the totality of which the
ballad-singer is but a small fragment; Demodocus appears in but one
Phaeacian Book, and is by no means all of that, though for once the
leading figure.
A step further we may carry the thought. Homer is not only not a
Demodocus, but he very distinctly contrasts himself with Demodocus by
his poetic procedure. If he is at such pains to show himself a
world-builder, and then puts into his world a ballad-singer as a
passing character, he certainly emphasizes the difference between
himself and the latter. It is also to be noticed that Demodocus does
not sing an Iliad, though he chants lays of Troy; the Iliad is an
organized work, not a collection of ballads strung together. Everything
about Demodocus indicates separate songs; everything about Homer (the
Iliad and the Odyssey) indicates unity of song. Hence with the
separatists, dissectors, anatomizers, Demodocus is a greater favorite
than Homer, indeed he has taken the place of Homer.
Moreover the poet has plainly marked another stage, a stage between
himself and Demodocus. In the next Book Ulysses will begin singing and
continue through four Books, giving his adventures in Fableland, which
by itself possesses a certain completeness. Still it is but an organic
part of the total Odyssey, whose poetical architect is Homer. Ulysses
as singer is clearly higher than Demodocus; but Homer is above both,
for he takes both of them up into his unity, which is the all-embracing
poem.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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