Homer beyond Homer: a comparative approach to the question of oral composition in performance
The present study is an attempt to compare three different poetic traditions whose origins are believed to have been influenced to a significant degree by oral composition in performance: the Ancient Greek, the Sanskrit, and the Old English. These traditions all belong to the Indo-European language...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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2023
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| _version_ | 1826311213827489792 |
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| author | Doda, A |
| author2 | Metcalf, C |
| author_facet | Metcalf, C Doda, A |
| author_sort | Doda, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The present study is an attempt to compare three different poetic traditions whose origins are believed to have been influenced to a significant degree by oral composition in performance: the Ancient Greek, the Sanskrit, and the Old English. These traditions all belong to the Indo-European language family, with interesting parallels not only in the realm of themes and motifs, but also of diction and poetic turns of phrase. The aim of this study is to explore whether similar resemblances may also be found on the deeper level of composition. By taking into account the simplicity and complexity of different poetic units, I investigate (and, wherever possible, reconstruct) certain mechanisms and techniques for the production of poetry during composition-in-performance. The chief texts under scrutiny are four (<i>Iliad</i>, <i>Odyssey</i>, <i>Mahābhārata</i>, and <i>Beowulf</i>), where I explore three distinct poetic contexts: greetings and well-wishes in Chapter 1, traditional similes in Chapter 2, and battle scenes in Chapter 3. My results will hopefully show that, at least in these contexts, we may be able to understand how certain compositional techniques might facilitate the task of the singing poet, as he strived to produce sophisticated lines in his performance under the constant threat of metrical breakdown. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:05:01Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oxford-uuid:5a4dd93d-4d70-477f-a848-f98df40af0b6 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:05:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:5a4dd93d-4d70-477f-a848-f98df40af0b62023-10-30T07:48:31ZHomer beyond Homer: a comparative approach to the question of oral composition in performanceThesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_db06uuid:5a4dd93d-4d70-477f-a848-f98df40af0b6Homeric StudiesIndo-European ComparativismEnglishHyrax Deposit2023Doda, AMetcalf, CThe present study is an attempt to compare three different poetic traditions whose origins are believed to have been influenced to a significant degree by oral composition in performance: the Ancient Greek, the Sanskrit, and the Old English. These traditions all belong to the Indo-European language family, with interesting parallels not only in the realm of themes and motifs, but also of diction and poetic turns of phrase. The aim of this study is to explore whether similar resemblances may also be found on the deeper level of composition. By taking into account the simplicity and complexity of different poetic units, I investigate (and, wherever possible, reconstruct) certain mechanisms and techniques for the production of poetry during composition-in-performance. The chief texts under scrutiny are four (<i>Iliad</i>, <i>Odyssey</i>, <i>Mahābhārata</i>, and <i>Beowulf</i>), where I explore three distinct poetic contexts: greetings and well-wishes in Chapter 1, traditional similes in Chapter 2, and battle scenes in Chapter 3. My results will hopefully show that, at least in these contexts, we may be able to understand how certain compositional techniques might facilitate the task of the singing poet, as he strived to produce sophisticated lines in his performance under the constant threat of metrical breakdown. |
| spellingShingle | Homeric Studies Indo-European Comparativism Doda, A Homer beyond Homer: a comparative approach to the question of oral composition in performance |
| title | Homer beyond Homer: a comparative approach to the question of oral composition in performance |
| title_full | Homer beyond Homer: a comparative approach to the question of oral composition in performance |
| title_fullStr | Homer beyond Homer: a comparative approach to the question of oral composition in performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Homer beyond Homer: a comparative approach to the question of oral composition in performance |
| title_short | Homer beyond Homer: a comparative approach to the question of oral composition in performance |
| title_sort | homer beyond homer a comparative approach to the question of oral composition in performance |
| topic | Homeric Studies Indo-European Comparativism |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dodaa homerbeyondhomeracomparativeapproachtothequestionoforalcompositioninperformance |