Author: a.nanas

Both Rumi and Hafez were Sufis who wrote poetry on their perception of Islam. As one reads both of their works, one can realize that Rumi as a Sufi does not indulge in pleasures, whereas Hafez does. In Rumi’s poem The Question, he talks about how fire is perceived to be bad, but in reality it actually is beneficial to the society. He shows that the people only view the stream (water) as the only thing that gives life giving qualities, but when people get so stuck on this mindset, they fail to realize that the fire can benefit them as well. On the other hand, when reading Hafez’s poems, one can see the impacts that alcohol and women have on his life through his writings. He shows that he indulges in drinking wine, and he mentions he in fact is in love, when Sufis themselves should only engage in higher connections with God.

In Plato’s Symposium, the form of the dialogue is a very important factor in defining love and explaining all of its characteristics. When the conversation begins, Plato establishes the setting, by showing us that the men are situated in a way that influences the flow of conversation. Then, one by one, each man gives his take on what he believes the true meaning of love is. As each man speaks, they either criticize the ideas proposed before them, or add on to the ideas, and this collection of speeches eventually allows the men to arrive at the very true meaning which is stated by Socrates. Also, Plato arranged the order of the men in such a way that as the speeches went on, the speakers were more philosophical, especially with Socrates being the last one to comment on the previous speeches and finally presents his ideas. Although for the most part the Symposium was very dramatic and climatic as the speeches progressed, there were also various comedic episodes that made Plato’s work very enjoyable to read.

In the Odyssey, Homer’s depiction of the father-son relationship reflects the Ancient Greek culture, that the father is an important figure in a young boy’s life. Although Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, never really spent time or experienced his fathers presence, he always looked up to him and fully respected him. Once Athena gave Telemachus an inclination that his father was not dead, he set out and devoted all of his time to go and find out as much information about him as possible. He loved listening to how great of a man his father was, and yearned to be just as great as him. Also, once he knew that there was a possibility that his father would return, he began thinking about ways to regain control of his estate and kicking out all of the suitors who were trying to take over his possessions. On the other hand, Odysseus, who had wasted many years of his life fighting a war, still found himself fighting to make it back home even though about ten years have passed him by. Instead of just giving up on his family back home, he insists on getting back and ruling his land again and being with his loved ones.

In an other scenario, we can see the theme being portrayed through Poseidon and his son Polyphemus. One of the main reasons Odysseus goes through most of the troubles on his voyage back home, is because he stabbed Polyphemus in the eye while he was trapped on his island. Polyphemus then called out to his father, Poseidon, to punish Odysseus. Poseidon, who was very angered by his son being blinded, destroyed Odysseus ship, killing his remaining soldiers, and causing him to land on Calypso’s island where he was pretty much imprisoned by her for years. This proves that the Father-Son relationship is very strong and significant in Homer’s work.