Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

Margaret Alexiou. The Ritual Lament in Greek Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Reviews the development of the lament from Homer to the present. Part I examines the lament for the dead in relation to the funeral rite; Part II defines a common ground among different kinds of laments (for gods, cities, and men); Part III explores the interaction of poetic originality with a "common tradition" of poetic conventions and structures, themes, formulas, images, and symbols. Includes occasional references throughout to possible relations between the lament material and oral tradition.
Area: AG, BG, MG, CP