The Homeric Hymns | Style

The Homeric Hymns Style

Point of View

There are several noteworthy aspects to consider in terms of the point of view of these hymns. The first is that while the hymns have several different authors (many of them unidentified by either history or scholarship) they all share essentially the same point of view. The second noteworthy element in this context, then, is the nature of that point of view, which in fairly broad terms is that of a believer - the hymns are written in praise of a spiritual entity in which the writer/poet believes. This leads to the third noteworthy element relating to point of view, which is how that belief manifests. That manifestation also occurs in several noteworthy aspects.

In all the hymns, long or short, narrative or simply complementary, the gods are praised, petitioned for blessings, and spoken to/of in reverent tones. In the longer narrative hymns they are also portrayed, defined by their...
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