my thin poetry midterm

8/9/2019 My Thin Poetry Midterm

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Souza 1

Samantha Souza

Myth in Poetry

June 26th, 2009

Paper 1 MidTerm

Sharon Mesmer

Persephone and The Male Perspective

The ree! Myth o" Persephone and #emeter can $e seen as a mother%

dau&hter cautionary tale, 'here the male(s can $e seen as the villains) *"ter all, +eus did

$etray the trust o" #emeter, and their dau&hter Persephone $y a&reein& to &ive her to his

$rother ades, !in& o" the under'orld) ades simply snatched Persephone into the

under'orld, 'ith the intention o" !eepin& her "or his o'n "orever) -o', i" this 'ere all

one 'ere to hear o" this popular ree! myth, it 'ould $e easy to $elieve that men 'ere

the enemy) o'ever, i" the myth 'ere seen "rom the male perspective, one mi&ht learn o"

the innocence o" +eus, and the pain and yearnin& "elt $y ades, leadin& to a .usti"ication

o" there actions)

/hile Persephone can $e vie'ed as a helpless child, 'ho represents innocence

and youth, vi$rance and vitality, she is also on the ver&e o" 'omanhood, comin& into

hersel", and "ully a$le to ma!e her o'n decisions, and $e responsi$le "or them) /hile she

'as technically &iven to ades $y +eus, she a&reed to &o alon& 'ith the arran&ement

$et'een her "ather and his $rother, and eventually &re' "ont o" her under'orld hus$and)

*s "ar as ades 'as concerned, his ne' ueen 'as happy in her ne' !in&dom) She

epressed ho' much she en.oyed her ne' li"e, and 'hile she did miss her mother, and

"eel terri$le "or leavin& her, she did not re&ret 'hat had transpired $et'een her and her


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Souza 2

in&) *"ter all, 'ho 'ouldn(t en.oy $ein& a ueen, even i" it 'as o" the under'orld3

o' could ades possi$ly thin! that he 'as in the 'ron& 'hen Persephone seemed

pleased in her ne' role3 4n addition, it 'asn(t as i" he !idnapped Persephone 'ithout

&oin& throu&h the proper channels) /hen he realized his desire "or Persephone, he 'ent

to her "ather, as!ed "or her hand, and a deal 'as made) *s "ar as ades !ne', he had done

nothin& $ut acted properly and &entlemanly) 4n terms o" ades( rape o" Persephone,

'hether or not this is a seual5physical rape is unclear, or 'hether the ta!in& o"

Persephone a'ay "rom her li"e a$ove can see termed as rape7, is to $e de$ated) ades

lives in the dar!est !in&dom, alone, lonely, "ull o" desire "or company and "emale

conpanionship) 4t only ma!es sense "or ades to 'ant to consummate the relationship

'ith his ne' ueen, and since she is ri&ht"ully his, 'hy shouldn(t he do so3 *s 8ichard

#ellamora eplains in his $oo!Masculine Desire, this myth hin&es on marria&e

'hether seen as such in a outcome o" the story, 'here$y +eus decides that Persephone

'ill spend three months each 'inter 'ith ades and the other nine months 'ith her

mother, or 'hether one uses the term as a euphemism "or the rape itsel"7 #ellamora:)

;i!e'ise, +eus 'as the in& o" all


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Souza >

her in di""erent parts o" the year) So even thou&h he didn(t see anythin& 'ron& 'ith the

deal he made, he still made an attempt to ma!e all happy, 'hich is honora$le and

admira$le)

4ma&e1: 4ma&e2:

4n this mar$le sculpture $y ian ;orenzo ?ernini, 'e see t'o di""erent an&les o"

the same 'or! 'here ades and Persephone as he ta!es her to the under'orld) 4t can $e

assumed "rom "irst &lance o" the "irst ima&e that ades is evil "rom this sculpture, i" 'e

loo! at Persephone(s ima&e only) 4t appears as i" she is un'illin& to &o 'ith ades, 'hich

may $e true) o'ever, i" 'e vie' ades, he does not loo! menacin&) e is not &ra$$in&

her as much as holdin& her) e does not have an evil loo! on his "ace) 4n "act, he appears

con"used as to 'hy Persephone does not !no' 'hy he is ta!in& her) 4t is almost as i" he is

thin!in&, #idn(t you !no' you 'ere supposed to come and live 'ith me3 /hy are you

resistin&)7 4t provo!es sympathy) 4" 'e vie' the sculpture "rom the second an&le, the

relationship $et'een Persephone and ades appears almost seual and sensual) The 'ay


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Souza @

his hands hold her, it comes across as a caress) 4" 4 'ere to see this an&le "irst, 4 'ould

thin! Persephone is playin& a cat and mouse &ame 'ith ades, protestin&, $ut really

'antin& to eplore this ne' under'orld 'here she 'ill $e Aueen) So, similar to 'hat is

said earlier, dependin& on theperspective, this story can $e seen in very di""erent 'ays)

my thin poetry midterm

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