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Recommended: Homer's poem Odyssey
The Journey of Odysseus
In Homer's epic The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus attempts to complete his journey home from Troy. On his way home, however, he angers the sea god, Posiedon, who curses him to travel for ten years on the sea, to loose all his men, and to return on a stranger's ship. During the ten years, Odysseus overcomes many hardships, and visits unique destinations in the world along the way. Each place has several symbolic meanings and themes that are found even in today's society. During his journey, Odysseus will attempt to find his place in the world and make a name for himself, make difficult leadership decisions pertaining to his men, and tries to overcome the natural curiosity and greed that is in man's mental makeup.
Although the lure of home drives many of Odysseus' reactions to the obstacles and challenges that are placed in his path, he also follows the calling of a more subtle force. This force is what makes him go to Troy in the first place, and is what dictates his actions on his journey home. The force is Odysseus' own desire to make a name for himself in the world, and to become one of its heroes, forever remembered in song. When his men had reached the Land of the Lotus, he was careful not to eat of the food there. The fruit of the Lotus would cause the consumer to forget who he was, and his quest in life, replacing all impulses that had existed before with only one desire: to eat of he plant (Timeless Myths). Odysseus, however, did not wish to submit to the "passive peace of the Lotus Lands" for two reasons: one more obvious [the desire to return home to his family], and the other hidden but just as strong [the antipathy he possessed about his name diminishing to nothingness on an island] (Steiner 112). In fact, this pride is what spurred his outburst when leaving the land of the Cyclops. He had outwitted and injured the monstrous beast, and yet, it was not enough. When he deemed that he was far enough away, he shouted his true name back to the Cyclops, making sure that the Cyclops knew that it had been he, Odysseus, who had put out his eye (Timeless Myths). Although this action may seem to have been rash and stupid to outsiders, Odysseus was actually insuring that he would not be thought of as Outis [nobody] (Steiner 120).
In romantic words, the poet expresses how much she does think of love. She state it clear that she will not trade love for peace in times of anguish.
Homer’s The Odyssey, a magnificent story of lust, deceit, greed, and heroism, still fascinates scholars and casual readers alike today in the same way it fascinated its audience at the time it was written. The Odyssey, a journey of determination, patience, and virtue, tells the tail of Odysseus, the main character, on his voyage home to Ithaka after the end of the Trojan War. Odysseus goes through many unforeseen trials and tribulations, which exemplify his character. During these different happenings, Odysseus makes decisions that do not correspond to his character.
The Character Odysseus in Odyssey "Odyssey" is an epic story that has been a significant piece of literature since it was first composed and will remain so for ages to come. One of the reasons it has been so is because of the hero, Odysseus. Odysseus was one of the first Greek mythic heroes renowned for his brain as well as his muscles. Indeed he is a man with an inquiring mind, and he is also a man with outstanding prowess and bravery" (123helpme.com/assets/3603.html). "We also must not forget that he is a top-notch athlete which only adds more to this seemingly insuperable character.
One challenge that he faces on this journey was temptation. The first of the temptations occur when Odysseus and his men encounter the lotus eaters. "They fell in, soon enough, with lotos eaters, who showed no will to do us harm, only offering the sweet lotus to our friends..." (IX. 98-100). Odysseus has the choice to eat the lotus, being the easier option, but instead he resists his urge. If he had eaten them, he would not have got home. Another temptation he has to withstand is with the Sirens, who lure the men to them with their music and...
Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplified the key traits needed to be an epic hero. The poem depicts Odysseus as an extremely strong man; at one point, he even defeats the towering cyclops Polyphemus. His ingenuity in creating the trojan horse unearths his slightly latent intelligence. Along with strength and cunning, Odysseus a strong sense of selflessness. He bared a trepid ten year journey and longed for his child and wife. Unfortunately, all of Odysseus’s traits are tarnished by his infidelity, ruthless behavior, and the massacre of men. Though he was, without a doubt, heroic, his lovely wife is the true, unsung heroine of the Odyssey.
occasion and beat the odds and become a better man, or he can follow in the footsteps
On March 20, 2003 with the support of the American people, President Bush and the United States of America declared war on Saddam Hussein, as well as the Iraqi nation. The waging of the war cost billions of dollars each day, as the United States prepared to ship over ten thousand American soldiers, an immense amount of ammunition, and dangerous biological weapons. Following the stationing in Iraq, the American soldiers bravely anticipated the day where they would come to the call of their country and serve on the "battlefield." Although carrying out "Operation: Iraq Freedom" required a great deal of bravery, patriotism, and dignity, the most important element needed was the will to fight. The deciding factor in whether the war commenced or not was whether the American soldiers possessed the will and determination to engage in warfare. However, where does the will to fight submerge from? Despite Author Barbara Enrenreich's claim that "even when men have been assembled, willingly or unwillingly, for the purpose of war, fighting is not something that seems to come `naturally' to them"(par 8), man's desire to partake in combat in indeed innate.
...ttachment or emotion. Again, Heaney repeats the use of a discourse marker, to highlight how vividly he remembers the terrible time “Next morning, I went up into the room”. In contrast to the rest of the poem, Heaney finally writes more personally, beginning with the personal pronoun “I”. He describes his memory with an atmosphere that is soft and peaceful “Snowdrops and Candles soothed the bedside” as opposed to the harsh and angry adjectives previously used such as “stanched” and “crying”. With this, Heaney is becoming more and more intimate with his time alone with his brother’s body, and can finally get peace of mind about the death, but still finding the inevitable sadness one feels with the loss of a loved one “A four foot box, a foot for every year”, indirectly telling the reader how young his brother was, and describing that how unfortunate the death was.
In the poem Harvest Bow, Heaney uses imagery when saying, “And if I spy into
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.
Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The
middle of paper ... ... In Homer’s Odyssey, both Odysseus and his son Telemachus embark on long, difficult journeys; Odysseus trying to return from Troy to his home in Ithaca, escaping Calypso and the island of Ogygia, and Telemachus from Ithaca to Pylos and Sparta in search of his lost father. While The Odyssey tells of the courage both men demonstrate during their respective travels, their quests are the results of the intentions and desires of gods. Odysseus is trapped in exile on Ogygia by the will of Poseidon, whose anger Odysseus attracts when he blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, and by the love of Calypso, who wishes to make Odysseus her husband.
Heaney begins the poem with an image of himself, pen in hand. He hears or is remembering the sound of digging under his window. It is his “father, digging”; however, the reader is told in line 7 that it is an echo from the past. Knowing that, “to ‘look down’ ” can be understood to refer both to the memory of his father’s presence below the window and to looking back through time to it. The image of his father as he “Bends low” can also mean two things: the bending that accompanies digging and the stooping of
favourite out of the poems is Valentine as I feel it does show a very
...stanzas in First Love tend to be of similar length. In How Do I Love