What do the opening lines reveal about the subject of the poem?

a. Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy.

b. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.

Question

English

Jaylan Moody

22 November, 13:28

What do the opening lines reveal about the subject of the poem?

a. Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy.

b. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.

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Chelsea Keller · Answer 1

There are several reasons why the author does that. A possible answer is that the author wanted to build up suspense. By withholding some information, and only revealing it in stages, the author hopes to interest the reader and to keep him "hooked" so that the reader continues with the work. Another reason could be that the author wanted to mimic the way in which the characters of the play obtain information. As the reader does not know all the facts, he can emphatize with the characters, who also do not have all the information. This makes their confused state and their imperfect decisions more relatable