Examples Of Similes In The Odyssey

Homer uses stylistic techniques such as figurative language. In the text he says, “And out he stalked as a mountain lion exultant in his power…” (6.142-143). This is a simile that compares the way Odysseus walks out to a mountain lion. This shows the reader that the author wanted to show that Odysseus was powerful and he was happy about it and the reader wouldn't understand that without the simile.

Odysseus is disguised as an old man and must prove that he can win back his wife, Penelope. The task is to be able to pull back the bow of Odysseus. All of the other suitors have failed. It is now Odysseus' turn. No one believes he can do it because he is old. He has tricked all of them into believing he is old and not up to the task. Odysseus has all knowledge of how this bow works. He is not old, but fiercely intelligent and physically strong as well. “But the man skilled in all ways of contending, satisfied by the great bow's look and heft, like a musician, like a harper, when with a quiet hand upon his instrument he draws between his thumb and forefinger a sweet new string upon a peg: so effortlessly Odysseus in one motion strung the bow.” (page 953)An epic simile shows how Odysseus was not just a normal person, but that he was gifted with other skills to get the job done. He knew exactly what he was doing, he had the knowledge of the bow because it was his and he was the only one able to pull the bow back, therefore claiming his wife. He will soon reap the rewards he so dreamed of for all those years gone from his wife. Now his task would be to convince Penelope that it was truly Odysseus himself.

In the beginning of The Odyssey, Telemachus is not yet a man and not sure of himself yet. Embarking on a mission to find his father, he matures from a child to a strong, single-minded adult. Throughout the poem, Telemachus finds his place in the world and becomes a more well-rounded person. Although Telemachus never quite matches his father Odysseus in terms of wit, strength, agility, his resilience does develop throughout the text. In the epic, The Odyssey, by Homer, the young boy Telemachus changes from an insecure teen into a confident and poised young man as he travels the seas in search for his father, whose bravery and intelligence proves to be comparable to his own.

Homer’s The Odyssey is not just a tale of a man’s struggle on his journey home from the Trojan War, but of his struggle from the consequences of revenge. The Odyssey weaves in different characters’ tales of revenge from the gods and what impact revenge actually had on those characters. Revenge is an important underlying theme in The Odyssey because, in essence, it explains why Odysseus’ journey was so prolonged and treacherous. A few examples of revenge in the poem include Orestes’ revenge on Aegisthus, Zeus’ revenge on Odysseus and his men, and Poseidon’s revenge on Odysseus. These different examples of revenge in The Odyssey show the importance of the gods’ revenge in the epic journey of Odysseus.

Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, tells the journey of Odysseus where he faces many perilous challenges. Throughout the challenges he displays the type of character he is within the episodes, "I am Laertes' Son" and "The Sirens; Scylla and Charybdis." Homer uses indirect characterization to illustrate Odysseus' arrogant and loyal character. First, Odysseus is shown to be quite arrogant. After surviving through many perils Odysseus has finally come to a king's court and has begun to tell his tale and he is shown to think quite high and mighty of himself Odysseus says that, "Men hold me / formidable for guile in peace and war / this fame has gone abroad to the sky's rim" (127-129).

The Odyssey is filled with emotion and adventure. Homer’s ability to show and give the reader a visual of each and every scene gives the story its unbelievable significance. To all the people who read his work there is something to be captured within every sentence, each one different in its own, unique way. Through tales of courage and defeat, friendship and love this book tells of all the values within the life of a single, solitary man, and his journey to attain what is true and dear to him. And this journey is known to all of us as The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a test of human devotion and trust through the gods, the mortals, and the obstacles through which they venture. No matter where they go or what they do, humans are tested for

The Odyssey of Homer is filled with various adventures, sought-after revenge, and harmful temptations. The war hero, Odysseus, traveled for three years, always trying to achieve his homecoming. In Odysseus’ fourth year, Zeus destroyed his ship, as well as his companions, while they were out at sea. After these losses, Odysseus alone was washed up onto the island of a nymph, Kalypso. She took him into her palace and came to love him. After time, she desired to make Odysseus her husband, offering to make him immortal as well. Yet, Odysseus declines her offer of immortality. After years of fighting in battle, then years of suffering following the war, his noble rejection seems remarkable. Homer’s readers are forced to wonder, why does

    Most people think of a hero as a strong, superior, good-looking person that could never make a mistake. However, in a story called The Odyssey, a connection to real life reveals imperfections to be common in heroes. Each person has their low points and highlights, regardless of their “rank”. The author and epic poet, Homer, exemplifies our main character, Odysseus, to take on this idea of a hero throughout his writing. The time period took place in Ancient Greece, allowing Greek culture to relate to the poem. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. A major point includes The Trojan War because it focuses in on Odysseus’ journey to bring Helen back home by devising a plan to destroy warriors in the city. Acknowledge this factor when reading The Odyssey, for not only evidence of heroism, but also other major points of archetypes, in which the device reflects the insights of readers in modern time and what is seen from Ancient Greek culture.

The characterization in Book 21 of The Odyssey and the O’Grady poem are similar. In the text, Odysseus is portrayed as being very skillful. This can be seen in the text through the words, “then—just as someone really skilled at playing the lyre and singing has no trouble when he loops a string around a brand-new peg, tying the twisted sheep’s gut down at either end” (256-259). By comparing Odysseus to a talented musician that can play and sing with ease, Homer makes it clear that Odysseus is very skillful in archery. O’Grady also characterizes Odysseus as a skilled archer in his poem, using these words, “He proved himself by plucking high-strung gut until it hummed a single note. So pure it sang” (2-4). These lines show how perfectly Odysseus strings the bow. It

As we imagine the suitors taking the shortcut to making the bow budge because it was so strong by trying to make the arrow weaker by slathering it in grease and putting it over a fire as opposed to Odysseus who in one motion, to the suitor's surprise, wound up and shot the

First, Odysseus and the basileus both share the trait of being skillful.“So effortlessly Odysseus in a motion strung the bow”(Homer 785). In this quote from “The Odyssey”, Homer recognizes the value of Odysseus’ strength and the gallant leader he is. Since the arrogant suitors in “The Odyssey”, could not perform stringing the bow, Odysseus shows that he is the most powerful and men are willing to follow a leader who can perform such an astonishing ability. “A chief who does not show himself a good warrior will find few who are willing to follow his lead”(Pomeroy, Burstein, Donlan, Roberts 4). This

It has been decided that if anyone can pull off Odysseus’s great trick of being able to string a bow, and then shoot an arrow through the holes of twelve ax heads, they will be rewarded handsomely. Of Course, as predicted, no one is able to complete the task, except for one man: “Now flashed arrow twanging bow clean as whistle through every socket ring, and grazed not one, to thud with heavy brazen head beyond.” (book 21, 481-484) the man who finally completes the task is odysseus. This action of stringing the bow, and then firing it perfectly, shows that there is just one man to rule Ithaca. It’s a warning to others of odysseus’s strength and power, even in great age.

Also Homer's use of the words “their necks were in the noose” is interesting, because there are possibly two layers of figurative meaning. The more shallow layer refers to the suitors being snared in a trap they can't escape, not being able to run from their deaths, repeated in the next phrase “their doom sealed” (35). Taking a deeper look, however, it is possible that the example of necks in a noose is meant to compare the suitors to the people who usually are in the predicament of being hung, in fewer words, criminals. Odysseus then seems to cut through this panic with his “dark look”, possibly showing his disgust with the situation. He then shouts back, “You dogs!

Homer´s use of poetic language is a useful tool to develop a string of affairs in the Odyssey. When Eurycleia recognizes Odysseus in his disguised appearance she feels a deep sorrow and commiseration for him. She understands and knows that Odysseus's fate is a result of his own constant hubris and his total disregard of the gods and their power:

Throughout the last few books of the Odyssey, Homer explains to the reader how Odysseus reestablishes his relationships with his family and friends of Ithaka. It’s possible the restoration of his relationship with his son, Telemachus, is the most significant event of all. This reconnection carries out three main purposes. First, it serves to characterize Telemachus' likeness to his father in the virtues of wisdom, humility, patience, and organization. Secondly, it enables Odysseus a chance to coach Telemachus on how to be a powerful ruler like he is. Lastly, Homer uses the reconnection to highlight the importance of a healthy family structure to a society. To be able to understand