Examples Of Diction In The Odyssey

In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus transitions into manhood after enduring a grueling journey back to Ithaka. One observes his valor and courageousness being put to the test and sees how he gains a new understanding of what it means to be a man after tragically losing what he values most. To illustrate this, Homer offers the following simile: “[…] as when a man, who well understands the lyre and singing, easily, holding it on either side, pulls the strongly twisted cord of sheep’s gut, so as to slip it over a new peg, so without any strain, Odysseus strung the great bow,” (21.406-9). Homer contradicts the graceful precision of the lyre with the barbaric twisting of the cord of a sheep’s gut in order to allude to Odysseus’s triumph over the

The Odyssey has many stylistic choices that change the story in many different ways to improve it and make the reader better understand the text they are reading.

Homer first utilizes hyperboles to express the hazard of the situation that Odysseus and his men face. One of Odysseus’ men Eurylochus is the first one to face Circe’s wrath as when one of the men manages to escape her lair. He then recounts the perilous adventure to the rest of the men, demonstrating the precariousness of the situation but his prevailing wit to stay back and not be seduced by Circe’s advances. This riskiness of the situation is first demonstrated Eurylochus comes back to the men on the ship in tears-- “numbing sorrow had stunned [him] to silence--tears welled in his eyes, his heart possessed by grief” (272-273). Homer uses alliteration in “sorrow” “stunned” and “silence” that demonstrates the strong desolation and overall emotional pain that Eurylochus felt, after

In the story of the Sirens, Homer uses diction to describe the tone as mystical and oblivious to the audience. Homer presents the intricacy of the myth of the Sirens through different point of views, tones, and imagery. He tells a story of a man who is clever enough to hear the Siren’s song and not lose his life. Odysseus knows what the sirens will do to him, so he takes precautions by plugging his crew’s ears with wax and asking them to tie him to the ship.. An example is, “My faithful company rested on their oars now, peeling off the wax that I had laid thick on their ears…” (line 754-755) This implies that the crew was exhausted of hearing the Sirens voices and trying to ignore it, as the Sirens leave, they remove the wax from their ears.

The Odyssey, by Homer, is a story about a hero from the Trojan war named Odysseus, who throughout his story, has to overcome many different challenges that test his strength and reveal many things about himself. In this excerpt, Odysseus and his men travel to a land where they discover the Kyklopes. In the excerpt from the heroic poem The Odyssey, Homer alludes that Odysseus and his men believe that they are better than the Kyklopes by using various connotations. Throughout the story, Odysseus and his men call the Kyklopes “ignorant” and claims that their society is more developed than the Kyklopes.

Novelist and poet, Rainer Maria Rilke once said, “The only journey is the one within”(Rainer Maria Rilke Quotes). Meaning, what makes a journey important is how one changes and learns from the experience. The claims made in this quote are well proven in relatively new literature and even one of the oldest poems still studied today. The Odyssey is a famous, well known epic poem. It was written by the renowned poet, Homer, in ancient greek times. The Odyssey follows a man known as Odysseus, he just left fighting in the Trojan war after years. Odysseus has quite the adventure due to the gods’ and goddesses’ constant manipulation, all in the hope of reaching his homeland, Ithaca, and beloved family. Quite the opposite, much younger and shorter “The Journey” is a poem written by Mary Oliver in the 1900s. This poem relays what a journey really is and the purpose of going on journeys. Despite the differences between The Odyssey and “The Journey”, the two both use figurative language to convey a very similar message. People embark on journeys to fill an empty void and learn what they appreciate in life.

Focus on the descriptions of the palaces of Nestor and Menelaus. Find quotations that describe their virtues:

In the Odyssey, specifically in the short story “Sailing from Troy,” Odysseus and his men are blown to the shore of Cicones due to a gust of wind created by Zeus. Once landed on the coast they began killing the men, and enslaving the women of Cicones. After the raid of their goods, Odysseus’ men had disobeyed Odysseus by slaughtering sheep and caused two prisoners to escape. Which consequently led to the prisoners bringing the Cicones’ army to attack Odysseus and his men. This caused many men to be killed.

This quote is from the time Odysseus is trapped on an island by the nymph Calypso for nine years. These powerful words portray clearly the pain that Odysseus bears within him thus giving the reader a fuller understanding of the story and his character.

In the epic The Odyssey, Homer uses literary conventions and rhetorical strategies to develop the malevolent lure lurking under the tranquil beauty of the nymph, Calypso. The imagery of her flourishing island illustrates an astounding portrayal of the unpredictable attribute of this “lustrous goddess” who is also the “bewitching nymph”. Calypso’s usage of ethos, pathos and logos in her argument with Hermes shows how Homer practices rhetorical strategies in his boundless stream of inspiration. The scene is set with a serene fire inside the secluded cave.

A group of fighters led by Antilocus’ father, Euphites wanting to avenge the death of the suitors arrive at the palace. Odysseus kills Eupithes and continues to slash them down until Athena commands them to stop trying to make peace. This passage employs the use of imagery as it describes the protesters frantically running away from Athena after hearing that Odysseus was aided by Mentor when killing the suitors. Another use of imagery and a simile is “…Odysseus, gathering all his force, swooped like a soaring eagle…” this shows that Odysseus continued to follow and target the panicked suitors. He swoops silently, quickly and efficiently like an eagle swooping down to catch a salmon. Overall, these two sections of the quotation using imagery

One of Virgil's most famous works of literature, The Aeneid, greatly resembles and is even alluded to Homer's The Odyssey. An allusion is an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference. Virgil uses allusions to The Odyssey to tell his story in many instances, reflecting the first six books to The Odyssey's first six books and the last six books of the Aeneid to the last six books for the Odyssey, with many corresponding events. One of these events that is found in The Odyssey with a similar story found in the Aeneid included two powerful women falling in love with the two heros, first from The Odyssey, Odysseus, and the other from The Aeneid, Aeneas. In The Odyssey, Calypso,

There are many examples of Odysseus' physical and mental strength throughout his journey home to Ithaca. Odysseus' character is a hero, he uses brains, and whatever is available to him. He specifically shows these characteristics in the trial of The Lotus Eaters, the Cyclops, and Scylla. Odysseus shows many examples of mental and physical strength throughout The Odyssey.

The Odyssey of Homer presents a large variety of themes, and also reinforces them through several different techniques. One of the primary ways Homer strengthens the themes outlined in The Odyssey is through the use of literary devices, specifically similes. One of the central themes in The Odyssey which is strengthened through the use of simile is Odysseus’ ability to use deception rather than sheer strength to escape perilous situations. Another central theme emphasized by similes is the longing of Odysseus and his men to complete their nostos, or homecoming.

Within the Odyssey, Homer uses literary devices such as figurative language to express the theme of the Odyssey. Figurative language helps with the development of theme because they are more likely to engage their readers and make their argument more relevant and convincing. Homer uses figurative language in the Odyssey to describe the themes of sacrifices and the love of home.