@article{Inspiration:1703,
      recid = {1703},
      author = {Trevino, Natalie L},
      title = {Inspiration and Narrative in the Homeric Odyssey},
      publisher = {The University of Chicago},
      school = {Ph.D.},
      address = {2019-03},
      pages = {271},
      abstract = {One can read the Odyssey as the product of a poetic  tradition interested in innovating the very process of its  own narrative performance. In my thesis I focus on examples  of metanarrative that feature a particular type of internal  narration: the communication of gods with men. In  particular, the Odyssey features two apparent aberrations  of the standard portrayals of 'Homeric' divination—one, a  dream scene, Penelope's 'symbolic' dream in Book 19,  another, a moment of prophecy, Theoklumenos’ 'ecstatic  vision' in Book 20. I will argue, however, that Penelope’s  and Theoklumenos’ scenes are not aberrant so much as  purposefully exceptional. In other words, I will propose  that both scenes can be understood more productively as  depictions that have been conscientiously stylized by the  poet(s) to encourage a reception by their audience that is  similarly aware of the scenes’ metacommentative, and  especially metapoetic, significance. 

Indeed, by  manipulating the standard representations of gods and men  as they communicate within epic narrative, the poet has  crafted an innovative and self-referential exploration of  the vehicle of that communication between gods and men, the  medium. Along with the poet, both Penelope and Theoklumenos  are mediums within the epic because they act as the  intermediary between the gods and mankind in moments when  information from the divine sphere is shared with the human  sphere. I will argue that the poet takes advantage of the  metanarrative nature of these scenes, in order to disclose  to his audience the essence of his own poetic contributions  which are otherwise obfuscated by traditional elements of  the genre. In line with the other metanarrative innovations  of the Odyssey, the poet uses the scenes of Penelope and  Theoklumenos as internal descriptions of his own role in  order to challenge traditional conceptions about divination  and divination’s sister craft, poesis.},
      url = {http://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/1703},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.6082/uchicago.1703},
}