The Humans and Gods Relationship

Andrew Page

Mr. Parsons

English

1/26/12

                                    Relationship between the Gods and Humans

Having a relationship is easy, though having a good one is hard. Between the gods and the humans, I would have to say that they’re relationship is pretty tight. Gods practically created humans for they’re own amusement. They can make the humans life’s miserable or make it bearable. It’s really all fun and games for them. So really the creation Enkidu was to one up Gilgamesh, and in the end, it ends up hurting him dearly. For Utnapishtim he was lucky for Ea to be so nice and tell about the flood that was coming for him. So there is really a lot to talk about throughout this blog post.

            Enkidu was created to balance out Gilgamesh’s 2/3 god and 1/3 human. With leaving Enkidu to be 1/3 god and 2/3 human, and to be his soul brother. Not only was Enkidu created just to even out Gilgamesh, but in more ways then one. Throughout this rollercoaster of a book, Enkidu teaches Gilgamesh how to have respect, honesty, loyalty, and most important, friendship. Before that Gilgamesh had none of those things going for him. He was just a horrific person at the beginning. For example “ he is a king, he does whatever he wants, takes the son from his father and crushes him, takes the girl from her mother and uses her, the warrior’s daughter, the young man’s bride, he uses her, no one dares to oppose him.” He basically uses fear and his power to do basically whatever and whenever he wants to do. Though when you continue through the story, he starts to show some improvement. For instance, turning down Ishtar for sex, it may have not been the nicest way but he turned her down though. Later when Enkidu dies, he shows some really deep feelings, which showed character, and honoring with a lion skin and roaming around the woods, which shows that there was a strong bond between the two.  Really the gods in this situation showed a lesson and a lose, which was cruel in a way.

            With this controversial circumstance, Itnapistim what basically just like Gilgamesh, which is what it said at the beginning. 5 gods planned this secretly, though if it weren’t for Ea, “The Clever God”, and his sympathetic advice, Utnapishtin, could’ve been dead. He would’ve not had been immortal. After, he helped the Great Wall city of Uruk. For instance, “ Utnapishtan- the man who survived the great flood and was made immortal-, he brought back the ancient, forgotten rites, restoring the temples that the flood had destroyed, renewing the statutes and sacraments for the welfare of the people and the sacred land.” After all this he showed that he was an exceptional human, like Gilgamesh showed towards the end of the story. The gods really shouldn’t have done this, but without it, none of this could’ve happened without Utnapishtam surviving.

            So through all of this it shows that the gods, and the humans are really close to each other. Though without them deceiving the humans, two important people through the story wouldn’t have become exceptional humans. Which goes to show that the humans and gods relationship is strong to mess around with. 

The Arrow and the Song

I shot an arrow into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For, so swiftly it flew, the sight

Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For who has sight so keen and strong,

That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak

I found the arrow, still unbroke;

And the song, from beginning to end,

I found again in the heart of a friend.  

By: Henry Wadsworth Longsfellow 

The arrow and the song shows that the arrow is like a friend that has gone away. That it went away so fast

that he didn't know that it had left. When he breathes a song into the air, it seems to me like he is trying to

find it. Then when he finds the arrow in a tree stuck, and still unbroken, that he still had a heart of a friend.

How it made me feel is how he still tried to find his friend, after that it flew out of sight. 

1. I found again in the heart of a friend. - I like how he says that he still has the heart of his friend after trying to find for so long. 

2. Could not follow it in it's flight- The arrow, or his friend went away so fast that he could not follow it in it's tracks. 

3.  It fell to the earth I knew not where; The the song he sung wasn't able to be found by his friend.  

What does it mean to be an Human

What it means to be human, an exceptional human is a huge change through the story of Gilgamesh. He shows care about others from the beginning of the story towards the middle to end. How he shows to be human is a little hard, considering he is 2/3 god, and 1/3 human. At the beginning he has the mentality to do whatever he wants. For an example, he would be the first to have his way with the woman who were married. Also him thinking that he is the best of the best, and for no one to better then him. It does show how he's human but not in a such a good way. To show how he is exceptional human is towards the middle to the end. When he meets his full human identical, Enkidu. When Gilgamesh hear's about Enkidu, he is infuriated about this. How there could be an exact identical just as good and great as him. When Gilgamesh does meet face to face to his identical, Enkidu, they go into a brutal battle, and once they realize   that they're perfect for one another, they become the best of friends. Almost like a brotherly love, and the changing of Gilgamesh has begun. When they go to Cedar forest they team up and care for one another to fight the monster  Humbaba. They both showed love for each other, and thats what really helped them defeat Humbaba. Then when Ishtar sends the Bull heaven, Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill it sucessfully. Though Gilgamest knows that Enkidu will die. He knows that it will happen and he doesn't want it to happen because he really cares about Enkidu. So it does show how Gilgamesh changes into an exceptional human, just because of one person.  

- Gilgamesh mourning over the death of his beloved friend Enkidu

The net

Into this net of leaves, green as old glass   

That the sun fondles, trembling like images

 In water, this live net, swung overhead

From branch to branch, what swam? The spider’s thread

 Is less passive, where it appears to float

Like a bright hair clinging to the wind’s coat. 

Hot at work, history neither schemes nor grieves   

Here where the soaking dead are last year’s leaves,

 And over them slung, meshed with sun, a net   

No creature wove, none frantically tried to fret.

 The huge weight of time without its sting   

Hangs in that greenly cradling woof. A wing

Has caught there, held. Held. But not to stay,   

We know, who, how slowly, walk away. 

The poem " The Net" shows how the net has been used. It shows that it has been through hard working conditions and has been through rough times. It shows it's versatility that it can be used for in the workforce. This poem also mentions about the leaves that are as old as glass, that the net carries around. The way the poem makes me feel in a certain way is how much wear, and tear it has been through, when used. 

1. " Hot at work, history neither schemes nor grieves"- this line basically says about the history it's been through and hard work. 


2. No creature wove, none frantically tried to fret- Shows how not one to mess with. 


3. In water, this live net, swung overhead.- shows it's versatility