Week9 midterm examen(western literature)

Midterm examen

Term explanation

I. in medias res:
It is a Latin phrase for the literary and artistic narrative technique where the relating of a story begins at the midpoint, rather than at the beginning, establishing setting, character, and conflict via flashback or expository conversations relating the pertinent past. For example, in Homer's Odyssey, we first learn about Odysseus' journey when he is held captive on Calypso's island. We then find out in Books IX through XII, that the greater part of Odysseus' journey precedes that moment in the narrative.

II. Homeric epithet:
A characteristic of Homer's style is the use of epithets, as in "rosy-fingered" dawn or "swift-footed" Achilles. Epithets are used because of the constraints of the dactylic hexameter and because of the oral transmission of the poems; they are mnemonic aids to the singer and the audience alike.

III. epic poetry:
An epic poetry is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. For example, The Iliad and The Odyssey are famous epic poetry.

IV. Achilles' heel:
Achilles’ heel is a seemingly small but actually crucial weakness. It’s because of a story about Achilles. When Achilles was a baby, it was foretold that he would die young. To prevent his death, his mother Thetis took him to the River Styx, which was supposed to offer powers of invulnerability, and dipped his body into the water. But as Thetis held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not washed over by the magical water. Thus, when Achilles grew up to participate in a war, his heel was shot by a poisonous arrow, killing him shortly after.

V. Invocation:
As a supplication or prayer it implies to call upon God, a god or goddess, a person, etc. When a person calls upon God, a god, or goddess to ask for something or simply for worship, this can be done in a pre-established form or with the invoker's own words or actions. For example, on the page.189 and page.291 in The Norton, that is, the beginning of The Iliad and The Odyssey, we can find the invocation to the muse.