This is an excerpt from The Odyssey. I have to find a homeric simile in it,if there is one,and I've tried too hard, but I just can't find one...
'Two nights, two days, in the solid deep sea-swell
he drifted, many times awaiting death,
until with shining ringlets in the East
the dawn confirmed a third day, breaking clear
over a high and windless sea; and mounting
a rolling wave he caught a glimpse of land.
What a dear welcome thing life seems to children
whose father, in the extremity, recovers
after some weakening and malignant illness:
his pangs are gone, the gods have delivered him.
So dear and welcome to Odysseus
the sight of land, of woodland, on that morning.'
-MC
I don't know who the translator is, but the word that introduces a simile is missing.
What a dear welcome thing life seems to children
whose father, in the extremity, recovers
after some weakening and malignant illness:
his pangs are gone, the gods have delivered him.
Translated by Robert Fitzgerald
But can you explain to me how this is a homeric simile?
Thanks
-MC
In this excerpt from The Odyssey by Homer, the speaker describes the moment when Odysseus catches sight of land after being adrift at sea for two nights and two days. While this passage does not contain a Homeric simile, I can explain what a Homeric simile is and how to identify one in the epic.
A Homeric simile is a type of extended simile that is commonly used in Homer's epics, such as The Odyssey. It involves comparing a heroic action or event to a more familiar or everyday action, event, or object. These similes are usually quite lengthy, using vivid and imaginative language to create a colorful analogy.
To identify a Homeric simile, you should look for the following characteristics:
1. Length: Homeric similes are typically longer than regular similes, often spanning several lines or even a whole paragraph.
2. Comparative elements: They involve a comparison between two different actions, events, or objects. One of these elements is usually a heroic action or event, while the other is something more familiar or commonplace.
3. Elaborate language: Homeric similes employ vivid and elaborate language, often including multiple descriptive metaphors and vivid sensory details.
In the given excerpt, there is no extended simile present. However, it is still important to note the author's use of imagery to convey Odysseus' relief upon seeing land after his perilous journey.
In a simile, Homer always used a completely different situation or thing or animal or ??? to explain something else thoroughly. The word "like" or "as" that we use in English is not always there, but the simile is clearly there.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Homeric%20simile
What two "things" are being compared with this simile?