Indeed, by manipulating the standard representations of gods and men as they communicate within epic narrative, the poet has crafted an innovative and self-referential exploration of the vehicle of that communication between gods and men, the medium.
In other words, I will propose that both scenes can be understood more productively as depictions that have been conscientiously stylized by the poet(s) to encourage a reception by their audience that is similarly aware of the scenes’ metacommentative, and especially metapoetic, significance. I will argue, however, that Penelope’s and Theoklumenos’ scenes are not aberrant so much as purposefully exceptional. In particular, the Odyssey features two apparent aberrations of the standard portrayals of 'Homeric' divination-one, a dream scene, Penelope's 'symbolic' dream in Book 19, another, a moment of prophecy, Theoklumenos’ 'ecstatic vision' in Book 20. In my thesis I focus on examples of metanarrative that feature a particular type of internal narration: the communication of gods with men. One can read the Odyssey as the product of a poetic tradition interested in innovating the very process of its own narrative performance.
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