Tutor profile: Pocholo C.

Despite the prevalence of divine figures in Homer's Iliad, why has the epic been brought up in conversations of materialism--an ideology that revolves around a largely physical existence?

Simone Weil's essay on the Iliad as Poem of Force speaks to the true nature of the epic's protagonist--not Greek god or hero, but the very concept of force, which in her definition refers to the ability of any one thing to reduce an individual to inert matter. Force, an ultimate equalizer, is not beholden to any one figure within the narrative, and its status as a materialist character strips away much of the epic's metaphysical dressings for a far more grounded perspective.

What is one of the most important aspects of excellent logo design?

For many who have just started out within the realm of graphic design, one's instinct is often to utilize as many concepts as one has learned in creating a bombastic, spectacular logo. Unfortunately, this is not always the best case--the most notable logos in history have leaned toward the minimal, as the most important aspect of a logo is memorability and recognizability. To achieve this, it's important to maintain a degree of simplicity, especially with the logo's silhouette. If a child can try to reproduce the logo by memory, you're likely on the right track.

To what degree is grammar important within the modern English lexicon?

Of course, as one might've guessed, it definitely depends upon the situation--as you've likely encountered within the vast majority of social situations throughout your life, casual everyday language has a certain degree of colloquialism and slang that, while perhaps not formally correct, sound perfectly natural and would perhaps sound otherwise uncomfortably stiff and stilted if otherwise grammatically sound. In more formal settings, grammar is important due to its connotations with the concept of professionalism, but funnily enough, regarding more creative works such as literature, its become a common concept especially among modernist works to go out of one's way to absolutely and intentionally butcher grammar as a sign of protest against language's limitations!