Interpreting The Descent of Odin :: Descent of Odin Essays

construe The Descent of Odin There are several unlike ways to transform a poesy. Each word can either be a metaphor for something else or the words can mean exactly what they say. any way there can really never be a completely wrong interpretation of a certain poem because everyone is departure to see things in their own way. For example, an object or a vocabulary could have a double meaning. A conversation that seems somewhat unimportant could be very important to the meaning and the tone of the entire poem. This is the chance in The Descent of Odin by Thomas Gray. The poem has several different hidden meanings and messages that might not be visible to the untrained reader. The poem has several interesting aspects to it. The first is the very obvious, over active id of Odin. He is trying to retrieve data from the Prophetess when all she wants is to be left alone. In the beginning he is very demanding about what he wants. He provide not let her rest until he finds out al l of the information he wants. Yet a while my call obey Prophetess, awake, and say, (Gray, pg. 43). Odins child-like characteristics are very obvious. Finally after whining enough, he was qualified to bring all of the information he needed, his superego takes over and represses the id from carrying on and tormenting Prophetess. He is able to let his superego take over, unlike Prophetess who is very selfish and is not in control of her own free will. Prophetess was also guilty of doing a infinitesimal bit of whining herself. Instead of helping Odin right away, she complained about the fact that he had disturbed her. What call unknown, what charms presume to break the quiet of the tomb? Who indeed afflicts my troubled sprite, and drags me from the realms of night? (Gray, pg. 41-42) She is annoyed that someone dared to wake her. Her selfish micro id is rearing its ugly little head and causing her to complain and be grumpy. She is supposed to help people when they ask about the th ings that Odin asked about, hence the get up Prophetess. Instead of being completely selfless, like she should be, she decides that being stubborn and savage is the way to treat people. Both characters are guilty of giving into their ids, besides Prophetess is much more unwilling to let her superego take over to purify her id.