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Metaphors
Definition of Mood
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect of a piece of writing... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes... read full definition
Mood
Explanation and Analysis:
As soon as the Iliad opens, Homer tells the reader that the poem will recount Achilles's murderous rage and doomed fate. As a result of this framing, the mood of the poem feels dark and tragic. In addition to this, the overarching military themes and epic diction evoke a dramatic, heroic mood.
Homer fills the poem with foreshadowing and irony, making it clear to the reader what the characters' fates are. The characters often have limited insight into these fates, which makes the tragic mood more pronounced. Early on, Homer foreshadows that Troy will fall, that Hector will die, and that Achilles will die—but the reader nonetheless commits to reading 24 books about the lead-up to these events. Through this, Homer comments on the futility of war's mass destruction and loss. He suggests that war follows a violent, senseless pattern that humans seem to doomed to sustain.
Throughout the poem, Homer shows interest in the drama of war, almost presenting it as a kind of theater. When recounting the action of battle scenes, he often zooms in on specific one-on-one interactions, which makes the war feel more personal, vivid, and intense. In addition to the attention he gives to what happens on the stage of the war, he also gives plenty of attention to the strategizing, disputes, sorrow, and intimate moments of care that occur behind the scenes of the fighting. This contributes to the poem's dramatic and heroic mood.
Related Themes:
