Post by January Jones on Mar 22, 2012 7:22:00 GMT -7
Calliope: Muse of Epic Poetry
Your wish is my command, sweetheart!
By the time I showed up to pick my Muse, there were only three left, and of the three, I felt most connected to Calliope. She is the oldest and the wisest of the muses, and since I've been told that I look like I'm "a million years old", it works. Calliope was considered the muse of epic poetry and of eloquence. She's technically supposed to be holding a tablet and pen, while wearing a gold crown...but yeah, that's not gonna happen. Instead, I had to get a bit more creative than that, and when I put all of the pieces together, I think this is the best shot I have that represents this particular Muse.
Alright, so Calliope is mature, wise, and the voice of reason (she even helped solve a dispute between two horny deities). I chose this particular dress because blue symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, and stability. I obviously don't have any pictures of me wearing a golden crown (which is almost a staple in paintings of Calliope), but I'm hoping that my "gold hair" (and gold bracelet!) helps to make up for it. As far as her being the "Muse of epic poetry", that required a whole new level of research...
"Epic poetry ordinarily concerns a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation." Rather than try to personify the overall definition of this form of poetry, I decided to show my interpretation of one poem in particular. Calliope was actually thought to be the Muse who had inspired Homer to write the "Illiad" epic (this poem is about the Battle for Troy; scroll down if you aren't familiar with the story). This is my modern take on that (the city in the background represents "Troy", and I'm acting as Helen in this shot, while she's thinking about the incredible consequences of her actions. So yeah...I'm basically trying to represent Calliope in a literal sense, but also hinting at a specific epic poem in a more subtle way.
Okay, now that we've got all of the analytical nonsense out of the way, let's actually talk about the reality of this shot. Most of you will not be fans of the foreground blurs, but I'm not too bothered by them because it adds depth (an important aspect of epic poetry), and the city in the background also helps in this regard. As for me specifically, I really like the styling, and I think my pose is quite Calliope-ish. I am not claiming that this photo is a home-run by any stretch of the imagination, but this theme has been one hell of a challenge, and hopefully I've been able to bullshit my way through it enough to at least get me to the next round!
[For People Who Aren't Familiar with the Battle of Troy in the Illiad]:
Dis' little punk named Paris decides to steal some king's sexy little bitch named Helen and takes her back to his crib in Troy. While Paris was tappin' dat ass, a whole shitload of mutha fuckas show up to bust a cap in his ass, but Paris is all like, "fuck y'all, my brother Hector is gonna skull fuck you guys if you don't get off my lawn!" Well, shit hits the fan and there's an all out gang war outside, and Helen starts feelin' bad while she's watchin' all this shit go down because it's all her fuckin' fault for runnin' away just to get some of that Orlando Bloom dick:
"Homer paints a poignant, lonely picture of Helen in Troy. She is filled with self-distaste and regret for what she has caused; by the end of the war, the Trojans have come to hate her. When Hector dies, she is the third mourner at his funeral, and she says that, of all the Trojans, Hector and Priam alone were always kind to her."
Wherefore I wail alike for thee and for my hapless self with grief at heart;
for no longer have I anyone beside in broad Troy that is gentle to me or kind;
but all men shudder at me.
