- What do “these Itahakas” mean?
- What characterises the voice in this poem?
A poem describing Odysseus’ journey from Ithaka and back to Ithaka—it seems to be describing a circular journey of “back to where I started”. The poem may be saying something about leaving the comforts of your home and setting out on a journey, and with experiences and having struggled, finally coming back home and being at peace. This is seen by the line “She has nothing left to give you now”. At the end of Odysseus’ journey when he is back in Ithaca, he has already gained all his life experiences through his twenty-year journey, and all that is left for him is peace. There are no more rewards at his destination. Once again, this journey is representative of the phrase: “life is a journey, not a destination”. The use of a second-person point of view and the constant reference to “you” allows this voice to be applied to anyone—this can be about anyone’s journey, not just Odysseus.
