The Burning Maze

In the ancient Greek world, the oral performance of poetry preceded written language. Before the ancient Greeks gained the ability to preserve mythological narratives in writing, they used poetry to convey important ideas and cultural elements. Thus, poetry’s true staying power was found in its role in aiding memory before written language could do so. Furthermore, the earliest ancient Greek sources—Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey—describe epic poems being performed with the accompaniment of a lyre. Thus, the power of poetry and music converges in the figure of the god Apollo.

In support of this theme, each chapter of the novel opens with a haiku, a poetic form that originated in 13th-century Japan. Composed of 17 syllables divided into three lines in a five-seven-five pattern, the haiku is traditionally intended to convey a sense of transcendent unity. By this lofty standard, Apollo’s own haiku are quite badly composed, and Riordan imbues them with a distinct sense of the ridiculous in order to lighten the tone of the otherwise serious quest. To enhance this comedic effect, the inherent awkwardness of Apollo’s haiku is explicitly addressed in the narrative itself. For example, when Apollo attempts to appeal to the pandai by offering to teach them how to write haiku, Jason gestures in the negative, much to Apollo’s confusion. However, although Apollo’s haiku are designed to appear silly, they are also thematically connected to the chapters they introduce.

The whimsical nature of Apollo’s poems can be found in the absurdity of their modern context. For example, the haiku that opens Chapter 23 reads, “It’s a beautiful | Day in the neighborhood—Wait | Actually, it’s not” (211); the verse alludes to the opening song of the childhood television series, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (211). However, the allusion to Mr. Rogers also evolves during the chapter to deliver a more serious message as well. When Jason and Apollo have a private conversation about Herophile’s prophecy and Jason’s intentions, Jason takes his time to answer Apollo’s question, and Apollo compares Jason’s deliberate movements to those of the show host, Fred Rogers, who “radiated the same calm centeredness” (211). This description foreshadows Jason’s steadfast acceptance of death with calm and focus; rather than trying to escape his fate, he remains clear in his intention to save Piper and Apollo. In this context, even Apollo’s whimsical haiku gains a more serious edge, for it is clear that Apollo cannot remember the day as being beautiful because it is the day that seals Jason’s fate. Thus, the underlying message of the opening haiku channels the effect of Jason’s sacrifice.

While Apollo’s approach features poetry, the power of music is most prominently represented in Grover’s songs of opening, healing, and nature, which have the power to preserve and protect those close to him. A song of opening enables him, Apollo, and Hedge to escape the inferno in Macro’s military supply store and, later, his melodies help them to access to the maze, where Apollo and the demigods foil Medea’s plans and bring her destructive blazes to an end. Additionally, Grover’s songs of healing can help restore injured dryads and demigods, and his song of nature fuels Apollo’s resistance to Medea in the maze, inspiring Meg to join in, thereby summoning the Meliai.

The power of music and poetry to convey a sense of transcendent unity is most forcefully illustrated when Apollo and Piper encounter the many Cyclopes and mercenary guards during the search for Caligula’s shoes. In this moment, Piper begins singing Joe Walsh’s “Life of Illusion,” and the power of her performance enables her and Apollo to walk through the mass of guards untouched. As Piper pours her heart and soul into the song, its lyrics suddenly encompass the many traumas of her childhood, her conflicted emotions over her demigod status, and her lingering pain over the end of her relationship with Jason Grace. As Apollo admits, “I didn’t understand it all, but the power of her voice was undeniable” (259). Thus, although Walsh’s song does not ostensibly tell Piper’s story, it holds the essence of her origins nonetheless, and upon singing it with such force, she gains the power to captivate her audience and prevent them from harming her. In this hyperbolic fashion, Riordan uses the power of music as a crucial plot device to propel the heroes along on their quest.