Typology of the English Texts

MY TH

MYTH. A myth is an ancient story about gods or heroes created to

express beliefs or explain natural events. Among the matters that myths
explain are how the world began, why the sun travels across the sky, and how
humans gained fire. Since myths are stories, these mythical explanations of
nature are both lively and imaginative. Myths are part of the oral tradition.
They are composed orally and then passed from generation to generation by
word of mouth. Every ancient culture has its own mythology, or collection
of myths. The Greek and Roman myths, known collectively as classical
mythology, tell about such gods and heroes as Zeus, Demeter, Apollo, and
Prometheus. “Demeter and Persephone” has been especially popular because
it explains the rhythms of nature in terms of human emotions.

Pre-reading
1) In what way can myths reveal truths about life?
2) What do you think reveals truths about life more vividly - myths
or science?
3) What is the role of myths in people’s life?

Demeter and Persephone

Anne Terry White
Deep under Mt. Aetna, the gods had buried alive a number of fearful,
fire-breathing giants. The monsters heaved and struggled to get free. And so
mightily did they shake the earth that Pluto, the king of the underworld, was
alarmed.
“They may tear the rocks asunder and leave the realm of the dead open
to the light of day,” he thought. And mounting his golden chariot, he went up
to see what damage had been done.

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 MYTH

Now the goddess of love and beauty, fair Aphrodite, was sitting on a
mountainside playing with her son, Eros. She saw Pluto as he drove around
with his coal-black horses and she said:
“My son, there is one who defies your power and mine. Quick! Take up
your darts! Send an arrow into the breast of that dark monarch. Let him, too,
feel the pangs of love. Why should he alone escape them?”
At his mother’s words, Eros leaped lightly to his feet. He chose from his
quiver his sharpest and truest arrow, fitted it to his bow, drew the string, and
shot straight into Pluto’s heart.
The grim King had seen fair maids enough in the gloomy underworld over
which he ruled. But never had his heart been touched. Now an unaccustomed
warmth stole through his veins. His stern eyes softened. Before him was a
blossoming valley, and along its edge a charming girl was gathering flowers.
She was Persephone, daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest. She had
strayed from her companions, and now that her basket overflowed with
blossoms, she was filling her apron with lilies and violets. The god looked at
Persephone and loved- her at once. With one sweep of his arm he caught her
up and drove swiftly away.
“Mother!” she screamed, while the flowers fell from her apron and
strewed the ground. “Mother!”
And she called on her companions by name. But already they were out
of sight, so fast did Pluto urge the horses on. In a few moments they were
at the River Cyane. Persephone struggled, her loosened girdle fell to the
ground, but the god held her tight. He struck the bank with his trident. The
earth opened, and darkness swallowed them all— horses, chariot, Pluto, and
weeping Persephone.
From end to end of the earth Demeter sought her daughter. But none
could tell her where Persephone was. At last, worn out and despairing, the
goddess returned to Sicily. She stood by the River Cyane, where Pluto had
cleft the earth and gone down into his own dominions.
Now a river nymph had seen him carry off his prize. She wanted to tell
Demeter where her daughter was, but fear of Pluto kept her dumb. Yet she
had picked up the girdle Persephone had dropped, and this the nymph wafted
on the waves to the feet of Demeter.

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Typology of the English Texts

The goddess knew then that her daughter was gone indeed, but she did
not suspect Pluto of carrying her off. She laid the blame on the innocent
land.
“Ungrateful soil!” she said. “I made you fertile. I clothed you in grass
and nourishing grain, and this is how you reward me. No more shall you
enjoy my favors!”
That year was the most cruel mankind had ever known. Nothing
prospered, nothing grew. The cattle died, the seed would not come up, men
and oxen toiled in vain. There was too much sun. There was too much rain.
Thistles and weeds were the only things that grew. It seemed that all mankind
would die of hunger.
“This cannot go on,” said mighty Zeus. “I see that I must intervene.” And
one by one he sent the gods and goddesses to plead with Demeter.
But she had the same answer for all: “Not till I see my daughter shall the
earth bear fruit again.”
Zeus, of course, knew well where Persephone was. He did not like to take
from his brother the one joyful thing in his life, but he saw that he must if the
race of man was to be preserved. So he called Hermes to him and said:
“Descend to the underworld, my son. Bid Pluto release his bride. Provided
she has not tasted food in the realm of the dead, she may return to her mother
forever.”
Down sped Hermes on his winged feet, and there in the dim palace of the
king, he found Persephone by Pluto’s side. She was pale and joyless. Not all
the glittering treasures of the underworld could bring a smile to her lips.
“You have no flowers here,” she would say to her husband when he
pressed gems upon her. “Jewels have no fragrance. I do not want them.”
When she saw Hermes and heard his message, her heart leaped within
her. Her cheeks grew rosy and her eyes sparkled, for she knew that Pluto
would not dare to disobey his brother’s command. She sprang up, ready to go
at once. Only one thing troubled her—that she could not leave the underworld
forever. For she had accepted a pomegranate from Pluto and sucked the sweet
pulp from four of the seeds.
With a heavy heart Pluto made ready his golden car. He helped Persephone
in while Hermes took up the reins.

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“Dear wife,” said the King, and his voice trembled as he spoke, “think
kindly of me, I pray you. For indeed I love you truly. It will be lonely here
these eight months you are away. And if you think mine is a gloomy palace to
return to, at least remember that your husband is great among the immortals.
So fare you well—and get your fill of flowers!”
Straight to the temple of Demeter at Eleusis, Hermes drove the black
horses. The goddess heard the chariot wheels and. as a deer bounds over
the hills, she ran out swiftly to meet her daughter. Persephone flew to her
mother’s arms. And the sad tale of each turned into joy in the telling.
So it is to this day. One third of the year Persephone spends in the gloomy
abode of Pluto—one month for each seed that she tasted. Then Nature dies,
the leaves fall, the earth stops bringing forth. In spring Persephone returns,
and with her come the flowers, followed by summer’s fruitfulness and the
rich harvest of fall.

Words to watch
1) Asunder (adv) – into parts or pieces
2) realm (n) – kingdom
3) defies (v) – boldly opposes or resists
4) monarch (n) – ruler; king or queen
5) dominions (n) – region over which he ruled
6) abode (n) – home
7) girdle (n) – a belt or sash for the waist
8) quiver (n) – a case for arrows
9) trident (n) – a spear with three points
10) river nymph – a goddess living in a river
11) Eros – in Greek mythology, the god of love, identified by the
Romans with Cupid
12) Hermes – a god who served as a messenger

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Typology of the English Texts

Text Comprehension
1) Who is Pluto? Who is Demeter? Who is Persephone?
2) What motivates Pluto to take Persephone to his kingdom?
3) What does Demeter think has happened to Persephone?
4) Why does she make the earth infertile?
5) How is the situation saved?
6) Why is Persephone unable to leave the underworld forever?
7) How does nature change as Persephone moves between the earth
and the under world?
8) Why is Persephone unhappy in the underworld?

Applying the reading

1) Identify the feelings that Pluto experiences during the course of the
story.
2) What emotions do Persephone and Demeter experience in this
myth?
3) How do the powerful emotions of these three characters account for
the change in seasons?
4) Why do you think the return of spring would be so important to
ancient Greeks and Romans?
5) Explain why myths have lasted for generations?
6) Identify the gods’ and goddesses’ main traits of character from the
given myth?

Writing Projects
a) Imagine that you come from a planet where the season is always
winter. You are visiting the earth for the first time, just as the spring
is beginning. Free write about your reaction to this new experience
b) Copy any three sentences from the myth that you find particularly
provocative, challenging, strange, or unbelievable. Explain why you
chose them.

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Understanding Words
1. Give synonyms to the following words:
1) gloomy – ______________
2) bound – ______________
3) plead – ______________
4) stern – ______________
5) seek – ______________
6) nourish –______________
7) toil – ______________
8) glitter – ______________
9) swiftly – ______________
10) defy – ______________

2. Match the idioms with their explanation:

1) d catch sb’s eye a) to surprise sb by doing sth when

they are not ready for it
2) catch one’s breath
b) to begin to burn, esp by accident
3) catch one’s death
c) to catch a severe cold
4) catch fire
d) to attract sb’s attention
5) catch it
e) to see sth for a moment
6) catch sb napping
f) to become red or brown because of
7) catch sb on the hop
spending time in the sun
8) catch sight of
g) be punished or scolded
9) catch the sun
h) to stop breathing for a moment,
because of fear, shock
i) to gain an advantage over sb when
they are not prepared

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Typology of the English Texts

3. Complete the sentences below using the idioms from the previous exercise.
Be sure to use the correct form of the verb:
1) I am so hungry. Can you ___________ the waiter’s _________?
2) When she saw the paintings she ___________ his __________ in
surprise.
3) Don’t go out without a coat: you will _________ your
__________.
4) She was standing too close to the fireplace and her dress
_________________.
5) If your father finds you here you will really ________________.
6) They were ________________ by the speed of the opposition.
7) The rush for fuel _____________ petrol companies
_____________.
8) She __________________ of that fashion car in the distance.
9) Your back looks sore- you have really _________________ today.

4. Study the phrasal verbs from the text and match them with their
explanation.

1) f catch up a) to make repeated urgent requests to sb

2) go up b) to continue an activity after a pause or break
3) come up c) to go from one place to another
4) go on d) to run with jumping movements in a specified
direction
5) bound over
e) to appear above the soil
6) plead with
f) to reach sb who is ahead

5. Complete the sentences with the suitable phrasal verb from the previous
exercise; put it in the right form:
1) After missing a term through illness he had to work hard to
_______________.

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 MYTH

2) When are you next __________________ to Scotland?

3) The daffodils are just beginning to ___________________.
4) He paused to take a sip of water, and then __________________
with his English.
5) He ________________________ the sofa into the room and
announced that he was getting married.
6) The boy ____________________ him to be allowed to ride on the
tractor.

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