The poem Parable of the Hostages depicts the struggle of the Greeks at war, likening their personal conflict of deciding whether or not to spend their future at war or at home, to being held “hostage” by the allure of glory that comes with an honourable battle in comparison to the relationships you hold at home. Their mundane lives certainly do not live up to the unpredictability that their days at war bring them. Moreover, the “new strength in their forearms, which seem more golden than they did at home” shows that they are not only physically stronger than before but also implies they feel more powerful, a desirable trait amongst most people, especially in ancient Greece. The poem compares war to men’s version of “dressing up, a game devised to avoid profound spiritual questions,” in the sense that the bloodshed and physically demanding activities distract them from lingering on the issue too long. The few that stop and have the time to question this are stuck with the profound spiritual question they are trying so hard to ignore: “how to divide the world’s beauty into acceptable and unacceptable loves!”

For me personally, I thoroughly enjoy how the poet breaks down the perceived ‘macho man’ persona that is often given to men at war. Seeing them vulnerable to something that is beyond their physical danger, but rather being distraught and in danger from their own thoughts is not a common occurrence, adding a layer of intimacy within the poem, making them appear far more relatable, connecting the reader to the poem.