Epic Similes In The Iliad

Looking at Homer’s epic similes throughout his work, The Iliad, it is easy to realize what his audience was familiar with during the time of his writing. I struggled to create my own two epic similes, noting that the most difficult aspect was choosing what to compare. When writing the imitation with Homer’s content, I knew the topic must have something to do with nature, but I found the 21st century topic selection to be must more broad. As I wrote these two epic similes, I learned the content of each simile depended greatly on the knowledge of the audience. Homer’s epic similes are common in that each of them compares a certain aspect of the Trojan War to something which can be found in nature. For instance, he may use wild animals to illustrate the warriors in battle like when he says “Two lions have snatched a goat from snarling dogs / And are carrying it off through thick underbrush, / Holding it in their jaws high above the ground” (13. 209-211.).
As it is said in book 16 lines 136-137, “The bronze metalwork tailored to the body / Of Aeacus’ swift grandson,” tells how Achilles’s armor was made for his measurements. The shell of the turtle is meant to display how perfectly as the armor fits Achilles. The turtle follows Homer’s trend of using nature as a means to explain pieces of the war. As for the 21st century epic simile, a fitted ball cap is used to express how Achilles’s armor fit and protected him. In 21st century American culture, sports are a very common topic among citizens, as well as the importance of skin care in terms of avoiding a sunburn. The fitted ball cap not only hugs the baseball player’s head, but it is also “shielding his sensitive skin / From the harsh rays of the sun.” This correlates to the popularity of baseball in the 21st century as well as a type of protection most people during this time deal with on a daily