Singers, Heroes, and Gods in the Odyssey | National Humanities Center

Work of the Fellows: Monographs

Singers, Heroes, and Gods in the Odyssey

By Charles Segal (NHC Fellow, 1993–94)

Ancient Greek Literature; Poetry; Epic Poetry; Poetics; Mythology; The Odyssey; Homer

Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1994

From the publisher’s description:

One of the special charms of the Odyssey, according to Charles Segal, is the way it transports readers to fascinating places. Yet despite the appeal of its narrative, the Odyssey is fully understood only when its style, design, and mythical patterns are taken into account as well. Bringing a new richness to interpretation of this epic, Segal looks closely at key forms of social and personal organization which Odysseus encounters in his voyages. Segal also considers such topics as the relationship between bard and audience, the implications of the Odyssey's self-consciousness about its own poetics, and Homer's treatment of the nature of poetry.

Subjects
Classics / Literary Criticism / Ancient Greek Literature / Poetry / Epic Poetry / Poetics / Mythology / The Odyssey / Homer /

Segal, Charles (NHC Fellow, 1993–94). Singers, Heroes, and Gods in the Odyssey. Myth and Poetics. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1994.