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Odyssey In The Odyssey By Homer And Homer's The Odyssey

Decent Essays

All odysseys tell the story of a great adventure; in-fact the word odyssey literally defines as a heroic adventure filled with notable events and hardships. Likewise in the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is not permitted to arrive home until he overcomes his biggest challenge, fixing his prideful attitude. The purpose of the passage found in Book V lines 65-102, is to reinforce Odysseus’ image as an epic hero and his loyalty to his family and homeland, in spite of challenges that arise that attempt to deter him from returning home. The structure and language utilised by Homer builds up the meaning of the passage; creating a contrast from the lush and enchanting feel of the goddess Calypso’s estate, to the grief of Odysseus being away from his homeland Ithaca and his family, including his loyal wife Penelope. Homer inserted an array of symbolic descriptions to create the warm and luxurious mood of Calypso’s abode. At the outset of the passage Homer describes a “great fire” (65) blazing on the hearth. Fire is applied by many to create a sense of warmth and comfort, and correspondingly here to depict the welcoming nature of Calypso’s place. Then as Calypso enters the passage, she smoothly glides across the room, her “golden shuttle weaving” (71) in hand. Homer noted that the shuttle that Calypso was holding was made of gold. Gold gives the reader a sense of the wealth and luxury of the goddess’s home. Again we get to sense the luxury when we read how the surrounding

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