In the opening proem of the Odyssey, what is notable about the first words "Tell me" ?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

First, let's restate the prompt and the options to ensure clarity about what's being evaluated.
Question: In the opening proem of the Odyssey, what is notable about the first words "Tell me" ?
Options:
1) It lets us know that Homer actually wrote the epic poem
2) It points to the human desire for knowledge through hearing epic poems
3) It's related to 'epos', the word used for the genre of epic
4) It is a polite way to begin the epic poem

Now, evaluate each option carefully:
Option 1: 'It lets us know that Homer actually wrote the epic poem' — This is misleading. The phrase does not serve as evidence of authorship; authorship of the Odyssey is traditionally attributed to Homer, but the opening words themselves function linguistically and poetically, not as a claim about whether Homer wrote it. So this option introduces a factual inference (authorship) that the opening words do not establish.
Option 2: 'It points to the human desire for knowledge through hearing epic poems' — While curiosity is a thematic undercurrent in many epic openings, this statement overstates and generalizes the immediate function of the exact opening phrase. The first words are more linguistically notable for their terminology and genre-related terminology than as an explicit statement about human knowledge-seeking, so this is not precisely accurate to the canonical observation being asked.
Option 3: 'It's related to 'epos', the word used for the genre of epic' — This option centers on the scholarly note that the opening words are connected to the term 'epos' (the Greek word for epic poetry) and the naming of the genre. The notable feature is the connection between the invocation 'Tell me' and the epic’s self-identification within the tradition of epic poetry, making this a precise and commonly cited observation.
Option 4: 'It is a polite way to begin the epic poem' — While the phrase can be read as courteous, labeling it simply as politeness misses the more substantive point about genre terminology and the formal opening style. This reduces the question to a surface reading rather than capturing the established scholarly emphasis on 'epos' and genre conventions.

In summary, option 3 directly addresses the scholarly point about the opening's relation to the term 'epos' and the epic genre, whereas the other options introduce misinterpretations or overly broad claims not specifically tied to the notable feature of the opening words. The reasoning here relies on understanding how ancient epics are introduced and how key terms signal genre identity in the opening. For accuracy, the best-supported observation among the choices is the one that ties the opening to the concept and terminology of 'epos' as the epic genre.

CLAS 2220 AU2025 (16301) Quiz 9 (Nov 3-7)

In the opening proem of the Odyssey, what is notable about the first words "Tell me" ?

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