Abstract
ALTHOUGH MILMAN PARRY was not the first to recognize that the diction of the Homeric epics is marked by metrical language patterns, it was he who grasped the wider significance of what he and others before him had observed.1 On the basis of his studies of Homeric meter and diction he was able to demon strate that the Homeric epics are the products of an oral tradition. This finding a rediscovery rather than a discovery-was to mark the beginning of a new era in Homeric studies. Parry's oral-formulaic theory is now widely accepted.2 Most scholarly discus sion concerning the nature and the composition of the Homeric epics has, in recent years, been founded on the assumption that they are the products of an oral tradition. It is an assumption that is fundamental to this paper as well. Late in his life Parry extended his interest beyond the smaller, syntactic phonological unit of composition, the formula, to a larger unit that he called a typical scene or theme. A theme, according to Parry, is a description of a
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
