Similes In The Odyssey

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey translated by Robert Fagles completely illustrate Odysseus’s journey home after The Trojan War. Separated into twenty-four different books, the poem describes the hardships Odysseus faces and how he overcomes obstacles. Though this poem is composed for listeners and may seem incomprehensible, Homer includes a plethora of literary devices to help audiences better understand, follow, and enjoy the context of The Odyssey. Throughout this poem instances of epic simile, foreshadowing, epithet, and xenia are included to help the poem flow.

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and the main character in homer’s The Odyssey, was gone for twenty years before finally returning to his family and his homeland. He struggled through many hardships and lost many loyal companions. The King of Ithaca would not have made it home without the assistance of the Greek gods. Despite all of the help and advice that Odysseus receives from the gods, he is a very brave man because his courage and daring in the cave of the Cyclops, his inability to give up and abandon his men on Circe’s island, and his flawless following of the gods instructions are acts of bravery that is uncommon in most men.

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

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18) is a universal message followed by many. In The Odyssey, Homer personifies this quote in the character Odysseus, the protagonist of the novel. A man beset with a hamartia of hubris, Odysseus’ flaw leads to his tragedy and hardships during his years-long journey to return home. With the utilization of motif of a lion, as well as direct and indirect characterization, Homer warns that pride, when controlled, leads to marvelous fame and recognition; however, if unbridled, leads to one’s misfortune and suffering.

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.

Homeric or epic similes can be found all throughout The Odyssey written by Homer. A simile is the comparison of two unlike objects using like or as. Homer’s similes are considered to be “epic” because of how elaborate they are to help the audience “feel” and picture a scene. One of the most glorified scenes in The Odyssey, full of epic similes, is when Odysseus stabs the eye of Cyclops Polyphemus. As soon as Polyphemus fell asleep from the over-consumption of wine, Odysseus put his plan into motion to escape the Cyclops’ cave. Courage took over Odysseus and Homer writes:

If a group of strangers came to your home or territory, how would you treat your guests? In the opening passage of The Odyssey (Book IX) by Homer, the setting is when Odysseus and his crew on their Journey and encountered sea monsters “Cyclops.” The clever Greek leader, Odysseus, and his men become trapped by a vicious one-eyed monster, who eats the men one by one. Notwithstanding, Odysseus devises a plan, blinds the monster, and escapes with his men. The unique language techniques used by Homer such as tone, diction, and dialogue reveal their characterization and moreover, it portrays a culture also corroborated that the Cyclops treat their guests in the whole different way.

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

Throughout the epic Homeric poem, The Odyssey of Homer, Odysseus is a hero known for his cunningness, vigilance, and overall attainment of homecoming. Odysseus’ journey home is one of many mental and physical tests that which involve numerous encounters with others whose characters are in opposition with his. It is important to understand that through his encounters with certain opposing characters, Odysseus’ qualities of possessing heroism and cleverness are vividly portrayed. In this instance, the characterization of Odysseus will be discussed in terms of how Agamemnon’s, Odysseus’ companions’, and the suitors’ characters reinforce Odysseus’ cleverness, prudence and heroism, as well as his avoidance of self-destruction and attainment of homecoming.

The Odyssey is a story about a man named Odysseus and his difficult journey back home from the Trojan War. Throughout the Odyssey, the main character Odysseus, faces numerous obstacles such as fighting Polyphemus the Cyclops, Scylla a six-headed monster and Charybdis, a whirlpool. During these trials, the author Homer uses diction to create a tragic and mournful tone.

In the epic The Odyssey, Homer incorporates the use of rhetorical strategies and literary devices to develop Calypso. Through the use of imagery and symbolism, Calypso and her island seem beautiful and perfect at first, but the imagery revealed that Calypso had a “hidden” intention and the symbols foreshadowed her true selfish nature. Although Calypso is caring for Odysseus she is self-centered and not letting him return to Ithaca so she can keep him for her own. Also, Homer uses rhetorical strategies during a persuasive argument between Hermes and Calypso. Calypso utilizes ethos, pathos, and logos to convince Hermes that Odysseus should stay on the island with her which reiterates her selfish character. Through language and literary devices,

Odysseus is very strong, but because of his pride, he feels the need to be virile and show his strength consistently.

Along the journey home, Odysseus and his men are presented with many situations that act as tests of their personal character and self-control. Whether it be the temptation of revelry, the ability to escape their worries, or gluttony, the men must choose between their own selfish desires or resistance for the communal good. Throughout Homer’s Odyssey, the failure of Odysseus’s men to recognize their lack of self-control due to foolishness results in them bringing misfortune upon themselves and ultimately their community. In contrast, their king and commander, Odysseus, successfully displays how to avoid this lack of self-control by possessing tremendous amounts of self-discipline and prudence.

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,

The Homeric simile is a trademark of the epic poem. It describes an extended simile, which continues for lines on end, and the extended simile’s vehicle often describes multiple characteristics of its tenor (Cite Sharon Hamilton!). Homer uses the Homeric simile throughout The Iliad to describe the Trojan or Achaean people and/or army as a group. Yet, the Homeric simile also applies to an individual many times throughout the text, specifically, The Iliad’s protagonist: Achilles. Achilles is a complex and dynamic character. Despite his almost superhuman strength defining his identity, he rejects the heroic code, and his fated downfall in The Iliad’s Book 24 ultimately defines him. The Homeric simile symbolizes Achilles’ strength in battle,