Poetics of the Homeric Simile and the Theory of (Poetic) Simile

Abstract

The epic simile, particularly in some of its subcategories, is a unique junction of phenomena central to the general understanding and definition of The first part of this paper addresses the relations obtaining between the epic simile and some basic problems in the theory of simile. The second part describes three subcategories of the epic simile prominently used in the Iliad as deviations from a dominant norm. These deviant similes combine two simile utterances in a way which equates opposites, comparing the lion to the cow and the Greek hero to his Trojan opponent. In this way the deviant similes contribute to the theme of sameness, which makes it possible to bring the discourse of the Iliad closer to the modern antiheroic sensibility. Apart from giving a structural description, the discussion focuses on the cognitive processes by which similes-standard and deviant, or seemingly so-are read and interpreted. Analysis of the multiplied simile, in the double framework of a general theory of simile and of the interpretational history of the Iliad, supports a claim for the important role played by rejected elements in the interpretation of texts, which in turn supports a claim for the important roles that structural complexity and cognitive ambiguity play in directing the interpretive process. The epic simile, and particularly in some of its subcategories, is a unique junction of phenomena central to the general understanding and definition of A description of the poetics of the Homeric simile, therefore, provides a unique opportunity to discuss the components of simile, its structure, the process of its interpretation, and Poetics Today 13:4 (Winter 1992). Copyright ? 1992 by The Porter Institute for Poetics and Semiotics. CCC 0333-5372/92/$2.50. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.173 on Thu, 19 May 2016 05:12:02 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 738 Poetics Today 13:4 its thematic and aesthetic functions. Above all, Homeric simile illustrates the possibility, as well as the actuality, of a structurally discrete poetic simile. The first part of this article addresses the relations obtaining between the epic simile and some basic problems in the theory of simile. The second part describes three subcategories of the epic simile prominently used in the Iliad as deviations from a dominant norm. Apart from giving a structural description, the discussion focuses on the cognitive processes by which similes-standard and deviant, or seemingly so-are read and interpreted. In both parts, but particularly in the second, the analysis of specific examples centers on the thematic and aesthetic functions of the epic simile in the Iliad, emphasizing the particular contribution of the deviant forms of epic simile to a modern interpretation of the work. These deviant similes make it possible for a text composed in the style of heroic discourse, in which war is presented as the only mode of self-realization, to be read as an antiheroic, antiwar utterance. 1. Epic Simile and the Theory of Simile