"Bigger Than Their Bodies". What do Homer's "The odyssey" and song lyrics have in common?

Essay by lile39High School, 10th gradeA+, March 2004

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From modern pop to timeless epics, people have always wanted to be something more than what they already are. This way they can leave a legacy for all to remember. The lyrics in "Bigger Than My Body," by John Mayer and "The Odyssey," by Homer, express this desire through theme, language, and tone.

The theme of aspiration can be found in both of these works. In the Odyssey, Odysseus plots his escape from a Cyclops. Though defeating Polyphemus may seem impossible,Odysseus did not lose hope or doubt himself. Not only does he defeat the Cyclops but he even rubs it in it's face. "If any mortal man inquire how you were put to shame, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye, Laertes son who lives on Ithaca.

Odysseus made sure that the Cyclops would remember who defeated him, and that all would remember his skill. John Mayer has the same level of ambition and aspiration.

In his song he says, "Someday I'll fly, someday I'll soar, someday I'll be so damn much more." These words show that someday he plans on being know and respected by everyone.

These two works also share ideas through language. Homer and John Mayer both use a form of a simile to demonstrate their bondage. Homer indirectly compares Odysseus, and the Cyclops to David and Goliath, an old biblical tale. This simile causes the reader to have an image of this giant monster, and a man standing next to each other, so Odysseus's defeat looks even more heroic. John Mayer compares himself to a bird, he states "maybe I'll tangle in the power lines, and it might be over in a

second's time but I'd gladly go down in a flame if a flame's what it takes to remember my name." The reader...