This week, we’re going to try something different: a more creative, open-ended assignment. Remember that in addition to your blog post this week (which is due, as always, by 11:59pm Sunday evening), you’re required to email me a very simple proposal for your first paper. In your paper proposal, you’ll want to include 1) the digression or epic simile you plan to write about and 2) a tentative thesis that answers the following question: what does the digression or epic simile you’ve selected tells us about one or more of the larger themes in the poem?

In addition to your paper proposals, this week, you need to complete the following online assignment: in order to help us think a bit more about ekphrasis, I ask that you look for an example of it in contemporary fiction or non-fiction. Remember what we said about ekphrasis in class: it’s a description, in a work of literature, of a piece of visual art. (The classic example, which you’ll be encountering this week, is the description of Achilles’ shield that appears in Book 18 of The Iliad.) Can you find anything like this in contemporary newspaper articles, blog posts, novels, poems, or short stories? What about in a text book for another class? Have some fun with this. Think of it as a complement to what we’re reading, a fuller investigation of the meaning of this particular literary concept. Instructions: please provide, in your post, a link to the article or site you’re referencing (or, if this isn’t available, a brief summary with citation). Then, in 225-250 words, tell us why you think the article, essay, blog post, etc. you’ve selected is ekphrastic. What visual work of art is being described? What makes the writing itself “literary” as opposed to just…regular old writing? Don’t worry so much about being right or wrong on this assignment. Just have some fun with it. See what you can turn up.

“Paris as magnificent as a god, replied. Ah hector you criticize me fairly yes thing unfair, beyond what i deserve”

I feel like this is a very interesting part of book 6, in which we are getting to see a little bit more of who Paris really is and what it is that motivates him. This simile shows a more confident and courageous side of Paris, after being motivated by the women he loves. We get a better sense of what is really important to Paris. This makes me wonder if paris’s weakness for women will have an even greater effect on the outcome of the story. In this simile the way Paris responds to his brother is being compared to how a god would respond. In the earlier readings Paris is shown to be cowardly, almost the complete opposite of his brother. In this part of the story we learn that Paris has a brave side to him when motivated by the right people. We see the first courageous side of Paris when he admits to his brother that he is wrong, I personally think it takes a large amount of courage to admit when you are wrong about something. Paris is very beautiful young man who loves spending time with women. As we discussed in class in these times spending time with women was not a very masculine thing to do. I find this very ironic being that in todays society we describe men who are good with women as masculine and maybe even superior to others. I am really interested in Paris’s character because I personally know at least one or two men that have similar weakness for women.

“-so down from Pergamus heights came Paris, son of Priam, glittering in his armor like the sun astride the skies, exultant, laughing aloud, his fast feet sped him on.”  Book6.Page212.

This comes from the very end of book 6 where Paris is and his brother, Hector, are making their way to the front of the battle lines.  The quote directly pertains to Paris though, in the extravagant manner that he struts ahead of Hector.  The poem compares the shining moment of the Prince of Troy, Paris, speeding through the great city of Pergamus to the battle front to fight for his country to the similarly phenomenal moment of the great sun in the sky.

As Paris makes his way to the battle, he shows a large amount of confidence, adorned in his best armor and mounted on one of the best bred horses at full strength.  It’s almost as if Paris’ pride rubbed off on his stallion because the horse too galloped “down the plain- thundering in his pride.”  Paris in all of his pride and glory passes his brother eager to join the fight and shine like the sun astride the skies.

“As a stallion full-fed at the manger, stalled to long, breaking free of his tether gallops down the plain, out for his favorite plunge in a river’s cool currents, thundering in his pride” Book 6 page 212

I really liked this Epic Simile. It compares Hector and Paris to a horse. The simile tells us this stallion (horse) is fully fed, has waited long enough and is now breaking free. This is a very creative way to describe the two brothers as they head into battle.

The way I view it, Paris and Hector have been well fed meaning they are well prepared for battle. They have waited long enough for the right opportunity and now are breaking free. But what are they breaking free from? Well in terms of Paris, he is breaking free from the criticism that he is not a great warrior. But now as they head into battle, they are compared to beautiful, fully prepared horses galloping down the plain.

“As a stallion full-fed at the manger, stalled too long, breaking free of his tether gallops down the plain, out for his favorite plunge in a river’s cool currents, thundering in his pride–his head flung back, his mane streaming over his shoulders, sure and sleek in his glory, knees racing him on to the fields and stallion–haunts he loves–so down from Pergamus heights came Paris, son of Priam, glittering in his armor like the sun astride the skies, exultant, laughing aloud, his fast feet sped him on.”

This epic simile is describing and showing a vivid image of Paris going to battle. He’s ready and that he’s not just a leader but also a brave warrior. Paris is stallion, a stallion is an alpha male, strong brave, and beautiful. Paris is a beautiful but he doesn’t seem to be strong but instead more feminine. Yet Paris is brave, he is not scared to admit he is wrong; he’s not scared to take a challenge.

Lord marshal Agamemnon rose up in their midst, streaming tears like a dark spring running down some desolate rock face, its shaded current flowing. (Page 252 line 15-17)

In this epic simile, the “streaming tears” is compare to “dark spring running down some desolate rock face” It tells us that Agamemnon’s face was as dry as a rock until the dark spring running on it . It showed that Agamemnon’s emotion is very upset and homesick because he and his army just lost the battle and they felt abandoned by gods. And the dark spring refer as his grief and sorrow.

“As a stallion full-fed at the manger, stalled to long, breaking free of his tether gallops down the plain, out for his favorite plunge in a river’s cool currents, thundering in his pride”(B6,pg212).

In the end of book 6, we read that both Paris and Hector are heading to battle. They both are compared to a stallion (horse) that was finally able to break through the stable and runs off to the field.

To Hector, peace, family, and honor meant everything. He was ready to fight and die for honor over all else. He was one of the courageous warriors in the Trojan army and he was also conscious of his responsibilities to his people.  His wife Andromache begged him not to go, but he replied that this was his fate. Paris was also ready to leave Helen and head to battle with Hector. Paris was admired by the women of Troy but not by the warriors. They accused him of being a coward and also Helen but this time he finally got the strength and courage to face the Achaean army.  The thing I learned from book 6 is that the ultimate honor for a hero is to die in battle.

“He donned his goodly armour overlaid with bronze, and hasted through the city as fast as his feet could take him. As a horse, stabled and fed, breaks loose and gallops gloriously over the plain to the place where he is wont to bathe in the fair-flowing river- he holds his head high, and his mane streams upon his shoulders as he exults in his strength and flies like the wind to the haunts and feeding ground of the mares.”

1)Paris riding back into the plains to go back the battle with the Acheans

2)Paris riding back into batttle is being compared to a beautiful and strong stallion running through a field.

3)What this epic simile is showing, is that now that Paris has decided to return to the battlefield, is he looks as beautiful, as elegant, and as strong as a wild stallion running through the plains to a river.

“his head flung back, his mane streaming over his shoulders, sure and sleek in his glory, knees racing him on to the fields and stallion-haunts he loves- so down from Pergamus heights came Paris, son of Priam, glittering in his armor like the sun astride the skies, exultant, laughing aloud, his fast feet sped him on.”

Paris is brother to Hector and a prince from Troy, he’s also the son of Priam.  He has a “pretty boy” vibe to him and he does not have the warrior spirit like his brother Hector.  Many warriors do not admire Paris because of soft nature.   In this simile Paris’ presence and armor is being compared to the sun that “astride the skies”.   With this simile it can be inferred that Paris is now gleaming and ready to go to the field of battle just like a stallion would be eager to get on a field. The inspiration he received from Helen and Hector was enough to give Paris motivation to get on the field.   Being compared to the sun shows that he is the hope of light to conquer the “evil”.  And that he will shine and become not Paris the “pretty boy” but Paris a worthy warrior to regain his pride.

-Matias Hernandez

“Paris as magnificent as a god, replied. Ah hector you criticize me fairly yes thing unfair, beyond what i deserve.”

This simile to me is a good description of Paris. He’s a great looking guy but lacks the courage and burning desire to want to fight. He would rather sulk and withdraw from the battle because emotional distress then help his people win the war. He’s kind of a pretty boy who just has no interest in what all of the other men in battle want to do. His brother Hector can’t stand it and pleads with him to return to battle. I think he is still embarrassed from what happened to Paris in his fight having to get saved. The simile really represents what Paris is about which is he is a lover to a fighter. Helen helps hector in getting him to to return to battle which he eventually does but this is a good example of the kind of person Paris is. That his brother and a girl have to convince him not to be a coward and return to battle. Even Hector had to tell his wife he had to go back after she begged him because of the fact there is a good chance he was going to die and Hector didn’t think twice. Hector began to basically pump up Paris to join the battle and even got him a little enthusiastic after his pleading. Paris is a very interesting character in this poem to me and I am curious to see what happens to him.