Writing Devices In The Odyssey By Homer

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.

The Odyssey is a fascinating epic poem consisting of twenty-four books all written by Homer. It is based on a Greek hero named Odysseus, who spends twenty years away from his family. Odysseus was in a battle against the Trojans in the Trojan War for the first ten years. Then, another ten years of painful obstacles was added due to his boastful attitude towards the gods and goddesses. When returning back to Ithaca, Odysseus encounters numerous of hardships with the help of the goddess, Athena. He bravely dealt with the wrath of Poseidon, the Cyclops, Aeolus’ winds, the Sirens, Lotus-Eaters, Cattle of Helios, Circe, Calypso, Scylla, Charybdis, the loss of his crew members, and also went to the underworld. The epic poem also includes the

The Odyssey by Homer is an epic poem consisting of 24 books that share individual stories. The Odyssey tells a story of Odysseus, son of Laertes, known as a Great hero. Odysseus fought in the Trojan War for ten years and it took another ten years for him to return home to his grieving wife Penelope and son Telemakhos. Throughout the poem, Odysseus and Penelope go through pain, hardships, and sacrifices always showing their heroic qualities of courage and wits.

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

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:

Gorgeous women, vengeful gods, helpful gods, numerous riches, ugly monsters, and a hero with his crew. The Odyssey of Homer, translated by Allen Mandelbaum, tells of the hero Odysseus' journey home from Troy. At his home in Ithaca, Odysseus' estate and wife, Penelope, have being overtaken by suitors. Odysseus' son, Telemachus, begins a journey to discover news of his father. After being away from home for numerous years, Odysseus' main goal is to reach home and regain his wife and estate. Along the way Odysseus learns many lessons about life as he grows from an immature lout to a humble, mature man.

Throughout The Odyssey, the author, Homer, recounts upon tales told to him by elders. The Odyssey explains the journeys Odysseus and his crew go through in order to get back to their homeland, Ithaca, after fighting a ten year battle in Troy. Homer consistently uses forlorn diction to create a desperate tone. In The Odyssey, Odysseus overcomes the call of the sirens.

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,

However, Odysseus was consumed in the thought that he had failed as a leader and a warrior because of his inability to protect his comrades. As such, Odysseus became much less confident in his abilities to lead and protect his crewmembers and their journey, which caused him to deliberate his personal value in the eyes of the Gods. Homer describes the disastrous situation through the fearful, petrified tone that also conveys the intimidated emotions of Odysseus. Furthermore, Odysseus’ overwhelming self-doubt portrays a human characteristic of the hero, which is a severe lack of confidence in particularly dire circumstances. Thus, the Cyclops’ vicious actions highlight the role of fate in the unforgiving brutality of human nature. After the encounter with the Cyclops, a tremendous storm attacked Odysseus and his small raft as he ventured from Ogygia to Phaeacia. As he was tormented by the unrelenting waves, Odysseus exclaimed, “’Wretched man – what becomes of me now, at last? […] What monstrous clouds – King Zeus crowning the whole wide heaven black – churning the seas in chaos, gales blasting, raging around my head from every quarter – my death-plunge in a flash, it’s certain now! […] Would to god I’d died there [at Troy] and met my fate […]” (Homer 161-162). Poseidon uses his influence over the seas to unleash his relentless fury at Odysseus for stabbing the eye of Polyphemus. Odysseus’ extreme anguish led him to question the level

How Homer Achieves An Effect in The Odyssey: RQA Quarter Two In his epic poem The Odyssey, Homer tells of the adventures of Odysseus, a Greek hero, who is lost at sea as he has angered the gods. As he journeys home, he faces many obstacles, including a one-eyed giant who devours his men, an evil sorceress who turns his men into swine, and even a nymph who detains Odysseus on her island for a year, delaying Odysseus’ journey home. Throughout the book, Odysseus faces many hindrances, each one in different forms, unique, and requiring a diverse set of skills. One such event that occurred was when he leaves the nymph Calypso’s island and gets washed onto the shore of Phaeacia by the angry god Poseidon, the god of the sea.

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:

If you have been through high school, then you have probably read The Odyssey. A blind man named Homer wrote The Odyssey in Ancient Greek times. The book is about a man named Odysseus who has just finished fighting in the Trojan War and needs to return home. He goes through a series of trials on a quest to return to his wife and be the king of Ithaca once again. This book is still important today because it develops complex reading, teaches about ancient Greece, and teaches virtues and values.

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey follows Odysseus on his long journey home. The Epic also includes the stories of Odysseus’ family left behind: the travels of his son, Telemachus, and how plenty, of what we would now call “home wreckers”, suitors pressured his wife, Penelope, into marrying one of them. The characters are beautifully crafted and the story is truly epic. All the elements presented can bring in any reader from any century, the Cyclops, the Gods, the trickery of Penelope, and the disguises of Odysseus, are all legendary literary hooks . There are many things to learn—about writing, about the world around us, the world ahead of us, and the past behind us—from The Odyssey. (26) It is undeniably evident that this ancient text has

Homer's Odyssey is a story of the homecoming of Odysseus after the Trojan War.  Odysseus left his wife, Penelope, and their young son, Telemachos, almost twenty years before the telling of this story to fight in the Trojan War.  His absence places Penelope in a rather precarious position.  Faced with many different circumstances, both good and bad, Penelope is on her own to decide the path she wishes to take.  Depending on her decisions, the situations could either be filled with wonderful opportunities or perilous dangers. The strong character of Penelope is revealed by her decisions.

Odysseus is arguably one of the most admirable classical heroes in all world literary masterpieces. However, although he expresses the commendable traits of manliness, conduct, and intelligence, there are also numerous faults in this round character— most notable being his excessive pride. Many of his praiseworthy qualities also prove to work against him at times, and extend his journey in The Odyssey by several years. Homer constructs Odysseus by attributing both godly and human characteristics to him, allowing readers to admire him while simultaneously relating to him. The combination of these revered traits coined Odysseus as being an omnicompetent man, polumetis, in the eyes of the Mycenaean’s and in the eyes of most modern day readers. This shows that the popularity of Odysseus transcends time; however, modern interpretations of The Odyssey in cinematic productions portray Odysseus in conflicting perspectives that may not directly correlate to Homer’s intention of the hero.