1. He seems to me equal to gods that man
whoever he is who opposite you
sits and listens close
to your sweet speaking
a. This passage is from Sappho’s fragments. The poetic voice describes the
experience of seeing her beloved sitting opposite a man who “seems [...] equal
to gods.” The use of direct address (you, your) is characteristic of Sappho’s
work and creates a sense of intimacy between the speaker and the addressee.
This fragment also evokes auditory imagery (“sweet speaking”), which is
thematized in various ways throughout the fragments (through the motif of
the lyre); the auditory imagery mimics the beloved’s speech and is further
reinforced by sibilance (“sits” “sweet” and “speaking”).
2. Some men say an army of horse and some men say and army on foot
and some men say an army of ships is the most beautiful thing
on the black earth. But I say it is
what you love.
3. He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. There we were, binding sheaves in
the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves
gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
a. This is a passage from The Book of Genesis, which is written by multiple
authors. Joseph recounts his dream to his brother, symbolizing how they will
eventually bow down to him. A theme from Genesis that this passage
demonstrates is siblings and their competition among each other. Joseph tells
his brother that he will bow down to him; they end up selling Joseph into
slavery, similarly; Cain kills Abel because he gave a more valuable offering
to God. Another stylistic theme that’s seen in this passage is the receiving of a
message through a dream. This is seen multiple times through God as he
sends lessons and prophecies through them.
4. Nanna has said nothing,
so he has left it up to
you. My queen! This
has made you even
greater, this has made
you the greatest.
5. In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless
, void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God
swept over the waters.
6. “Why, Gilgamesh, do you always chase grief?
You, fashioned from the flesh of gods and men,
made to be like your mother and father!”
a. This is from the Epic of Gilgamesh (Anonymous). Uta-Napishti spoke to
Gilgamesh after Gilgamesh went on his journey, following Enkidu's death.
He wondered why he was on this journey to pursue immortality.
Thematically, “made to be” is close to the theme of fate which is apparent in
the text; Gilgamesh is focused on immortality, even though his path has
already been laid out. The idea of “chasing grief” further exemplifies this,
suggesting that he is chasing something he can never find an answer to.
7. “Fools will take advice from half-wits.
Gilgamesh, what is it you want here?
And you, Enkidu! Fish that never knew its father,
turtle spawn that never drank its mother’s milk!”
8. “And put away in your heart this other thing that I tell you,
You yourself are not one who shall live long, but now already
death and powerful destiny are standing beside you…”
9. … He
has made himself
my equal, but envy
hounds him. O,
my righteous aurochs,
chase him, chain him!
10. “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!”
11. “I entreat you, by your life, by your knees, by your parents,
do not let the dogs feed on me by the ships of the Achaians…”
12. “Honor the gods, Achilleus, and take pity upon me
remembering your father, yet I am still more pitiful;
I have gone through what no other mortal on earth has gone through;
I put my lips to the hands of the man who has killed my children”
,13. Look: two thousand acres for the city,
two thousand acres for the orchards,
two thousand acres for the pits of clay,
and one thousand acres for the temple of Ishtar.
Seven thousand acres is the size of Uruk.
14. “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might
reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.”
15. “But now, you speak like a coward.
Your words have gone soft, and you trouble my heart.
I want to get started! I want to cut down the cedar
and make for myself an everlasting name.”
16. I fled like a swallow
swooping through a
window—my life is
all spent. The thorns
of foreign lands—is
that what you have
decreed for me?
a. This passage is from “Exaltation of Inana,” a hymn composed by
Enheduana. In this passage, Enheduana is recounting the details of her exile
to the goddess Inana. The simile “I fled like a swallow swooping through a
window” reveals the manner in which Enheduana left. She left with grace
(like a bird) but it was unexpected (window as exit mechanism). Enheduana
uses the word “thorns” to describe the idea of starting over in a new society,
one in which she is not high priestess. It exemplifies the pain/ hardship she
will have to endure.
17. “My heart was all set on fighting with you,
but now that I see you, my arm falls limp.
Tell me, how did you find eternal life in the gathering of the gods?”
a. This passage is from Gilgamesh (Anonymous author). Here, Gilgamesh
speaks to Uta-napishti after being guided by Urshanabi; Gilgamesh restricts
resorting to violence when he encounters Uta-napishti, the man who achieved
immortality. “[M]y arm falls limp” speaks to how Gilgamesh lost his will for
violence. This is because, due to his past violent actions, he lost his friend
Enkidu, and thus must confront [the consequences of] his violent behavior
now. Also, he recognizes that it is futile to try [to] kill an immortal. The
, words “[M] y heart” also speak more to this, particularly the shift away from
impulsivity. Gilgamesh, now facing an immortal, no longer acts impulsively
or emotively from his “heart” of grief.
18. “This is a disastrous matter when you set me in conflict
with Hera, and she troubles me with recriminations.
Since even as things are, forever among the immortals
she is at me and speaks of how I help the Trojans in battle.
Even so, go back again now, go away, for fear she
sees us. I will look to these things that they be accomplished.”
a. This passage is from the Iliad by Homer, and examines a tense moment of
conversation between Zeus, the speaker, and Thetis, where Zeus expresses a
fear of being seen speaking to Thetis by Hera. Zeus averts blame for his
sneaky encounter evidenced by the choice of pronoun use; he argues that
“you,” referring to Thetis, initiated conflict with Hera, and that “she” [Hera]
both “troubles me with recriminations” and “is at me.” By avoiding taking
responsibility for his actions, in this case secret conversations, Zeus assumes
himself above not only mortals, but other gods. This passage outlines the
scheming qualities of warfare between immortals by claiming such secretive
conversations as “disastrous.” Although the “conflict” at hand is not physical
battle, Zeus remains certain he will accomplish Thetis’ requests in a covert
manner, behind the backs of Hera and the other gods.
19. “Do not fear, and let no thought of death be upon you.
But come, tell me this thing and recite it to me accurately:
where is it that you walk alone to the ships from the army
through the darkness of night when other mortals are sleeping?”
a. This passage shows Odysseus, the speaker, attempting to convince Dolon to
part with valuable information and is from the Doloneia chapter of the Iliad
by Homer. Odysseus uses rhetorical tactics of persuasion to first ease “fear,”
and erase the “thought of death” from Dolon’s mind in order to receive the
intel he wishes to have. The cunning and wise nature of Odysseus is revealed
through his careful selection of words, avoiding direct repetition in his
request, yet asking Dolon to “tell [him] this thing,” and also to “recite it to
[him] accurately.” By essentially begging the same question twice, Odysseus
further wears down Dolon, ensuring he receives what he wants after easing
his mind from fears of death. Additionally, the acknowledgement of “other
mortals…sleeping” further exemplifies the overall sneaky encounter
Odysseus finds himself in, not only built by his choice of language, but also
setting.
whoever he is who opposite you
sits and listens close
to your sweet speaking
a. This passage is from Sappho’s fragments. The poetic voice describes the
experience of seeing her beloved sitting opposite a man who “seems [...] equal
to gods.” The use of direct address (you, your) is characteristic of Sappho’s
work and creates a sense of intimacy between the speaker and the addressee.
This fragment also evokes auditory imagery (“sweet speaking”), which is
thematized in various ways throughout the fragments (through the motif of
the lyre); the auditory imagery mimics the beloved’s speech and is further
reinforced by sibilance (“sits” “sweet” and “speaking”).
2. Some men say an army of horse and some men say and army on foot
and some men say an army of ships is the most beautiful thing
on the black earth. But I say it is
what you love.
3. He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. There we were, binding sheaves in
the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves
gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
a. This is a passage from The Book of Genesis, which is written by multiple
authors. Joseph recounts his dream to his brother, symbolizing how they will
eventually bow down to him. A theme from Genesis that this passage
demonstrates is siblings and their competition among each other. Joseph tells
his brother that he will bow down to him; they end up selling Joseph into
slavery, similarly; Cain kills Abel because he gave a more valuable offering
to God. Another stylistic theme that’s seen in this passage is the receiving of a
message through a dream. This is seen multiple times through God as he
sends lessons and prophecies through them.
4. Nanna has said nothing,
so he has left it up to
you. My queen! This
has made you even
greater, this has made
you the greatest.
5. In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless
, void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God
swept over the waters.
6. “Why, Gilgamesh, do you always chase grief?
You, fashioned from the flesh of gods and men,
made to be like your mother and father!”
a. This is from the Epic of Gilgamesh (Anonymous). Uta-Napishti spoke to
Gilgamesh after Gilgamesh went on his journey, following Enkidu's death.
He wondered why he was on this journey to pursue immortality.
Thematically, “made to be” is close to the theme of fate which is apparent in
the text; Gilgamesh is focused on immortality, even though his path has
already been laid out. The idea of “chasing grief” further exemplifies this,
suggesting that he is chasing something he can never find an answer to.
7. “Fools will take advice from half-wits.
Gilgamesh, what is it you want here?
And you, Enkidu! Fish that never knew its father,
turtle spawn that never drank its mother’s milk!”
8. “And put away in your heart this other thing that I tell you,
You yourself are not one who shall live long, but now already
death and powerful destiny are standing beside you…”
9. … He
has made himself
my equal, but envy
hounds him. O,
my righteous aurochs,
chase him, chain him!
10. “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!”
11. “I entreat you, by your life, by your knees, by your parents,
do not let the dogs feed on me by the ships of the Achaians…”
12. “Honor the gods, Achilleus, and take pity upon me
remembering your father, yet I am still more pitiful;
I have gone through what no other mortal on earth has gone through;
I put my lips to the hands of the man who has killed my children”
,13. Look: two thousand acres for the city,
two thousand acres for the orchards,
two thousand acres for the pits of clay,
and one thousand acres for the temple of Ishtar.
Seven thousand acres is the size of Uruk.
14. “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might
reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.”
15. “But now, you speak like a coward.
Your words have gone soft, and you trouble my heart.
I want to get started! I want to cut down the cedar
and make for myself an everlasting name.”
16. I fled like a swallow
swooping through a
window—my life is
all spent. The thorns
of foreign lands—is
that what you have
decreed for me?
a. This passage is from “Exaltation of Inana,” a hymn composed by
Enheduana. In this passage, Enheduana is recounting the details of her exile
to the goddess Inana. The simile “I fled like a swallow swooping through a
window” reveals the manner in which Enheduana left. She left with grace
(like a bird) but it was unexpected (window as exit mechanism). Enheduana
uses the word “thorns” to describe the idea of starting over in a new society,
one in which she is not high priestess. It exemplifies the pain/ hardship she
will have to endure.
17. “My heart was all set on fighting with you,
but now that I see you, my arm falls limp.
Tell me, how did you find eternal life in the gathering of the gods?”
a. This passage is from Gilgamesh (Anonymous author). Here, Gilgamesh
speaks to Uta-napishti after being guided by Urshanabi; Gilgamesh restricts
resorting to violence when he encounters Uta-napishti, the man who achieved
immortality. “[M]y arm falls limp” speaks to how Gilgamesh lost his will for
violence. This is because, due to his past violent actions, he lost his friend
Enkidu, and thus must confront [the consequences of] his violent behavior
now. Also, he recognizes that it is futile to try [to] kill an immortal. The
, words “[M] y heart” also speak more to this, particularly the shift away from
impulsivity. Gilgamesh, now facing an immortal, no longer acts impulsively
or emotively from his “heart” of grief.
18. “This is a disastrous matter when you set me in conflict
with Hera, and she troubles me with recriminations.
Since even as things are, forever among the immortals
she is at me and speaks of how I help the Trojans in battle.
Even so, go back again now, go away, for fear she
sees us. I will look to these things that they be accomplished.”
a. This passage is from the Iliad by Homer, and examines a tense moment of
conversation between Zeus, the speaker, and Thetis, where Zeus expresses a
fear of being seen speaking to Thetis by Hera. Zeus averts blame for his
sneaky encounter evidenced by the choice of pronoun use; he argues that
“you,” referring to Thetis, initiated conflict with Hera, and that “she” [Hera]
both “troubles me with recriminations” and “is at me.” By avoiding taking
responsibility for his actions, in this case secret conversations, Zeus assumes
himself above not only mortals, but other gods. This passage outlines the
scheming qualities of warfare between immortals by claiming such secretive
conversations as “disastrous.” Although the “conflict” at hand is not physical
battle, Zeus remains certain he will accomplish Thetis’ requests in a covert
manner, behind the backs of Hera and the other gods.
19. “Do not fear, and let no thought of death be upon you.
But come, tell me this thing and recite it to me accurately:
where is it that you walk alone to the ships from the army
through the darkness of night when other mortals are sleeping?”
a. This passage shows Odysseus, the speaker, attempting to convince Dolon to
part with valuable information and is from the Doloneia chapter of the Iliad
by Homer. Odysseus uses rhetorical tactics of persuasion to first ease “fear,”
and erase the “thought of death” from Dolon’s mind in order to receive the
intel he wishes to have. The cunning and wise nature of Odysseus is revealed
through his careful selection of words, avoiding direct repetition in his
request, yet asking Dolon to “tell [him] this thing,” and also to “recite it to
[him] accurately.” By essentially begging the same question twice, Odysseus
further wears down Dolon, ensuring he receives what he wants after easing
his mind from fears of death. Additionally, the acknowledgement of “other
mortals…sleeping” further exemplifies the overall sneaky encounter
Odysseus finds himself in, not only built by his choice of language, but also
setting.
