How do Analysts and Unitarians disagree about Homeric poetry?

The disagreement between Analysts and Unitarians is a central component of the "Homeric Question," an academic debate concerning the authorship and composition of the Iliad and the Odyssey.1

• The Analysts: This school of thought argues that the epics are not the work of a single individual. Instead, Analysts propose that the poems were assembled over generations from various independent ballads and shorter songs composed by different hands. They contend that the artistic unity observed in the texts was imposed upon them at a later date by editors or compilers.1
• The Unitarians: In contrast, the Unitarian approach emphasizes the inherent artistic unity of the poems. Unitarians argue that this structural and thematic coherence is evidence of a single, creative mind behind the works, traditionally identified as Homer.1

This debate has been significantly influenced by the oral-formulaic theory, which suggests that Homeric poetry emerged from a living oral tradition. This perspective posits that while poets drew upon traditional formulas and plots, they possessed the skill to reshape them in performance, allowing for a composition that bears the mark of a single poet while remaining part of a broader tradition.1