Homeric epithets

[ScipioSmith]

My protagonist, and the principal point of view character, has been raised and educated largely on epic poetry, and I thought it might be quite fun if his POV segments had him attaching homeric epithets to the characters (not all the time, but often enough it seems consistent) partly because he really does view the story as the Heroic Epic of his mentor, but mainly because I find antique style elements like that kind of cool.

My own opinion is that this would be fun, but I'm worried that it might seem strange or annoying to people reading it, so I'd like to know what other people think.

 

[Ghost]

I think the shorter ones could be fun. I've heard people use Robin's sayings (Holy Contributing to the Delinquency of Minors!), so it wouldn't be hard for me to imagine someone raised on epic poetry using homeric epithets, especially if he's half-joking. If he's completely serious...well, he'd better be wacky.

Please, don't refer to foam-arisen Aphrodite. It gives me the willies.

 

[Chilari]

Ah, rosy-fingered dawn, cunning Odysseus. I can't remember any more than that, but then it was 6 years ago I last read it. If it fits with the general voice of the character, then go for it.

 

[ScipioSmith]

I think the shorter ones could be fun. I've heard people use Robin's sayings (Holy Contributing to the Delinquency of Minors!), so it wouldn't be hard for me to imagine someone raised on epic poetry using homeric epithets, especially if he's half-joking. If he's completely serious...well, he'd better be wacky.

He is a little wacky, but intentionally so. He's in retreat from a world where his mother could get murdered outside her own doorstep and hides away in his world of Honourable Heroes Striving Manfully. The fact that he then goes on a save the world quest only encourages him.

 

[Devor]

My own opinion is that this would be fun, but I'm worried that it might seem strange or annoying to people reading it, so I'd like to know what other people think.

Implementation, consistency, style, quality . . . I think it depends. I'm a terrible poet, but one of my stories really demands a certain level of poetry, and as it progresses further, there are areas where additional poetry would help to make it truly epic. So I definitely commiserate with the idea that it might be necessary and helpful if it's well done.

I remember reading a book in High School called dragons of the lost sea, and one of the later books in the series opened with a prologue summary poem of everything that happened in the story thus far. I thought it was incredible at the time, and of course everyone's favorite story breaks into poetry for the sorting hat's song.

I will say, without reading anything you've written or having any basis for a real opinion of your work, I think short excerpts of poetry might feel out of place or forced or random. They're going to stand out, so they'll need to be expressing something that warrants the extra highlight. People typically use poetry to tell epic stories or events, and I can't think of a place where I've seen snippets of poetry by themselves.

It would be easier to give an opinion with a sample of the poetry and the prose around it.

 

[ScipioSmith]

They aren't samples of poetry, really, especially since I read Homer and Virgil in prose and tend not to think of them as poetry, more the multiplying of adjectives. In the original epics, key characteristics were attached to every mention of the relevant characters. While I wouldn't go that far, what I'm talking about is the same sort of thing. Some of these would reflect physical attributes ('swift-footed' or 'bright-eyed' Gideon, for example) while others would reflect the point of view characters opinions: Gideon is also 'splendid' or 'magnificent' but only in Michael's eyes.

 

[Devor]

If that's all you mean, ScipioSmith, I would expect you could easily work it into the character's tone and style without making it feel awkward. I say go for it.

 

[ScipioSmith]

I was a bit worried it would violate show don't tell, since readers these day don't like having character attributes hammered into them so much.

 

[myrddin173]

I was a bit worried it would violate show don't tell, since readers these day don't like having character attributes hammered into them so much.

Then again if the work is good enough they will forgive anything. I think it could work, if you do it right. I just don't know how to do that.