Homer also captures the common images that reveal the plot and themes through a stylized simile, which can be easily understood by viewers. In Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, the epic simile is one of the most commonly used tools. The Iliad is about the anger of Akhilleus, which influences the Trojan War. As one realizes by the end of the book, Akhilleus' anger causes his downfall as well as the suffering of his loved ones. Homer also writes about Odysseus' struggles along the trip back home with his men in The Odyssey. There are many ways to write a simile, and "[t]o say 'he came like an eagle' or 'he raged like a bull' is common to many poetic traditions: peculiar to Homer is the elaborate comparison, which may run to eight or ten lines" (Griffin 36). In addition to being common, epic similes are also more abundant in The Iliad (especially in the battle scenes) than in The Odyssey. However, using common images of natural forces and of wildlife, epic similes are detailed comparisons that vary in style and aid in the reader's understanding.
             One important function of the epic simile is to emphasize the current situation of the story. A key element and style that Homer utilizes in his epics is the skill of slowing down speed of the narrative which often becomes Homer's "major tool of emphasis" (Mueller 217). This method, as described by Martin Mueller presents a pause in time to emphasize a certain detail or aspect. This is presented in Book VI of the Iliad when Diomedes and Glaukos, son of Hippólokhos, stop in mid-battle to talk about their patriarchal pasts and then come to realize that they should be fighting along side each other rather than against. This example also supports another aspect of similes. Such an aspect of similes, which Homer uses, gives special emphasis on the detail of the epic simile as well as the ability t...