Back to the basics: Hubris

Hubris is the Greek word for pride, but in the days of the Greeks the term meant much more. It was used to refer to over reaching pride, or pride so great that is was bad. Considering the fact that power and renown within this culture was based one's best self, ownership of material wealth, and glory/renown(the Greek words arete, time, and kleos), one might find this understanding strange at first. The core idea, however, was that one should not get too full of themselves. This honor was meant to only be allowed by the gods. To be this prideful was to try and put yourself at the status of the gods, and was therefore blasphemy.

We see a potential example of this within the first book of the Iliad when Chryses appeals to Agamemnon for his daughter's freedom. He, as a good father should, is concerned for the fate of his daughter as property of Agamemnon. (Note: In these days women did not have the same rights as they do today. While they were highly valued, they were often treated more like property than like people. While it is easy to see the flaws in this in retrospect, we cannot ignore this fact when referring to the Greeks because it was in their worldview.) Agamemnon, instead of being humble, says he won't return the man's daughter. He then proceeds to overstep his boundries by stating that he, "...won't give up the girl. Long before that, old age will overtake her in my house, in Argos, far from her fatherland, slaving back and forth at the loom, forced to share my bed!"(lines 33-36). This is overreaching pride because he no only tells the man no, but states her fate in deep detail, probably crushing the man's hope for his daughter.

Note: Two things.
1. I know it's been a while since I've posted. This blog was primarily created for my highschool classes as my history/humanities teacher required us to do. Now I am in college and have no longer needed this blog, so that is the reason I haven't been posting much over the last year or so.
2. I know I have posted on the Iliad and the Greeks before way back in 2016. I am now sitting in as a guest in the same teacher's class, and thought it would be fun to follow along with the blogs. I hope these later blogs give more detail than before and the comparison of where I am now as to where I was freshman year of highschool should be fun.

Blogging question on Book V: What is the nature of redemption available to angels within Paradise Lost?

In the end of Book V, we see Abdiel change sides from that of Satan back to that of God. This raises a serious question regarding the nature of redemption for angels. Before this incident we are under the belief that angels, once fallen, cannot be forgiven or repent. In lines 903-905 we read, "From amidst them forth he passed, Long way through hostile scorn, which he sustained Superior, nor of violence feared aught;" Here, Abdiel steps out of the camp of fallen angels back to God, and is received. We also see the question of redemption come up in Satan's self reflective speech in Book IV when he states, "But say I could repent and could obtain By act of grace my former state; how soon Would heighth recall high thoughts, how soon unsay What feigned submission swore... This knows my punisher; therefore as far From granting he, as I from begging peace:"(93-96;103-104) Satan is saying here that if he were redeemed from his actions, he would forget what he has done and rebel against God again. In this, God not redeeming him is a form of grace for him. Now, if we look back at Abdiel, we read he was, "...faithful found, Among the faithless, faithful only he; Among innumerable false, unmoved, unshaken, unseduced, unterrified His loyalty kept, his love, his zeal:"(Book V Lines 896-900) Abdiel did not fall like the other angels, but instead stood against them all, and because of that he was welcomed back into Heaven. We see that angels who fall, fall on their own accord and own choice, and would fall again if redeemed, and because they have fallen on their own devices, they are not allowed redemption, because they will fall again.

Weekly Literary Terms: Beat writers, Bombast, and Bowdlerize.

Beat Writers:
The Beat Generation was a literary movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-World War II era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized throughout the 1950s.

Examples:
Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Carl Solomon, Gary Snyder, and Neal Cassady



Bombast:
Bombast language is high-sounding language with little meaning, used to impress people.

Example:
Just about any politician.



Bowdlerize:
To bowdlerize something is to remove material that is considered improper or offensive from (a text or account), especially with the result that it becomes weaker or less effective.

Example:
In the drafting of early U.S documents, people would often refer to blacks as "certain persons" rather than naming them blacks in order to keep it less derogatory.

Blogging: According to Book IV, what would you say is the nature (essence) of prelapsarian Eden, Adam, and Eve?

I would have to say that according to book IV, the nature of prelapsarian Eden is lush and full.Within the initial description of Eden, there are lines that describe the plants as, "...a circling row of goodliest trees loaden with fairest fruit, Blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue Appeared, with gay enameled colors mixed."(Book IV, L. 146-149) Milton continues, describing Eden as this kind of dense nature, full and intense with life. Adam and Eve, as they work in the garden, seem to be strongly innocent, having freedom to wander and enjoy the Garden in a pure form. This is a beautiful image in which Milton paints for us and is truly a paradise to admire.

Literary Terms and Vocab: Define the poetic device, "Apostrophe," and give an example from Paradise Lost. Define the word "Subversive" and put it into a meaningful sentence.

In poetry, an apostrophe is a term used when a speaker directly addresses someone or something that isn't present in the poem. The speaker could be addressing an abstract concept like love, a person (dead or alive), a place, or even a thing, like the sun or the sea.

"Hail holy Light, offspring of Heav'n firstborn,
Or of th' Eternal coeternal beam
May I express thee unblamed?"(PL Book III, Ln. 1-3)



Something that is subversive is something that creates trouble or tries to overthrow the ruling power.

Satan's subversive intent cannot allow him to do anything but corrupt God's creating and try to overthrow His power.

Weekly Literary Terms: Anaphora, Bathos and Anti-climax, and Blank Verse

Anaphora:
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Example:
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.



Bathos and Anti-climax:
Bathos is anti-climax. An anti-climax is the usually sudden transition in discourse from a significant idea to a trivial or ludicrous idea

Example:




Blank Verse:
Blank Verse is a verse that has a meter, but does not have a rhyming scheme.

Example:
Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost: Book II Part B

Re-read Satan's journey through chaos (Book II, Lines 890-967). What is the "nature" of chaos according to Milton's description, and how does he create that nature through the language?

Milton speaks of many beings such as Night, Hot, Cold, Moist, Dry, Rumor, Chance, and Confusion. These, as we know, are aspects of the world we know. With this, Milton is able to personify them, and use them as aspects of Chaos. This is very interesting because he uses them a warring forces and descriptions of Chaos. Chaos is then the center of both everything and nothing at the same time. The "nature" of chaos is a space that is both life and death, or land and ocean at the same time. It is the center of all of these warring aspects, and the warring aspects.