Pat and Ach- Selections from Alice Oswald’s Memorial
In
Oswald’s poem, Patroclus’ death is given a shown in a new light. This version
of his death scene encourages the misconception that Patroclus was younger than
Achilles. It seems from the similes the poet uses to describe Patroclus in
relation to Achilles would make the reader think he may be younger, when in
reality he would have been much older than Achilles. Like in the epic, Oswald decides
to describes Patroclus as “innocent” and compares him to a child playing dice
on a flat stone. The only difference here is that Oswald compares Achilles to a
child, thus making the two heroes equals.
The contemporary poet also refers to Achilles
as Patroclus’ “foster-brother.” Making them equals and brothers is a change of
pace from the parent and child roles the epic poet has cast them in. The death
scene as told by Oswald makes Patroclus seem out of place in war, as if he were
never meant to be there in the first place. It makes him seem like a victim of
being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is interesting when compared
in contrast to Homer’s depiction, in the Iliad,
where Patroclus is eager and
willing to fight. After all, its Patroclus’ eagerness to fight that causes
Achilles to experience the loss that drives him to re-enter the war.
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