A line you like because it reveals so much about the world of The Odyssey —the many turns, the echoing story, the ideas hidden inside it

“Tell me about a complicated man.

Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost

when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy,

and where he went, and who he met, the pain

he suffered on the sea, and how he worked

to save his life and bring his men back home.” (Book 1)

These are the first lines of Book 1 of The Odyssey, as it is a summary of the adventure Odysseus goes on in order to return back to Ithaca. The rest of the books tell the story of his journey, suffering on the sea as he faced multiple challenges alongside his crew, for example encountering Scylla and being a prisoner on Calypso’s island. This is an introduction to the world of The Odyssey, with a reference to the Iliad, “wrecked the holy town of Troy.” Furthermore, the Muse gives us an introduction to the Goddesses of the world of The Odyssey, as they are inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts, therefore he is asking the Muse of poetry to tell the story of The Odyssey.

A line you like because it seems quite lovely —a beautiful expression, for whatever that’s worth (I think it’s worth a lot).

“He ran towards his master, kissed

his face and shining eyes and both his hands,

and wept. Just as a father, when he sees

his own dear son, his only son, his dear

most precious boy, returned from foreign lands

after ten years of grieving for his loss,

welcomes him; so the swineherd wrapped his arms

around godlike Telemachus and kissed him,

as if he were returning from the dead.” (Book 16)

I like this line because it is a very emotional moment for both Odysseus and the swineherd, Eumaeus is a loyal servant and therefore is treated as part of the family. It is a heartfelt moment for Eumaeus as people had suspected that Telemachus would not return, after grieving Odysseus it would be difficult to also lose Telemachus, who he loves as much as his own son. Moreover, this is a sentimental moment because Odysseus is unable to express how he truly feels because he is in disguise. He is powerless in this situation as he is not able to reveal his true identity. Therefore he cannot express the emotions he feels after seeing his son, who he has not for twenty years. Furthermore, seeing Eumaeus treat Telemachus in a way that Odysseus wishes to do, creates an emotional moment for the readers, as they are aware of the situation.

A line that is satisfying on a pure storytelling or image-making level

“Odysseus, with ease,

strung the great bow. He held it in his right hand

and plucked the string, which sang like swallow song

a clear sweet note. The suitors, horrified,

grew pale, and Zeus made ominous thunder rumble.” (Book 21)

This line is very satisfying, as it is the line where Odysseus proved the suitors wrong, and humiliated the suitors for their inability to string a bow. Furthermore, this has great image making level, with the use of imagery “held it in his right hand and plucked the string” and metaphors “which sang like swallow song a clear sweet note”, to illustrate the ease of stringing a bow for Odysseus. This is also a significant line, as it shows the moment the suitors realised Odysseus was stronger than he looked, when in that form, “grew pale.” Therefore, being a fulfilling line for readers, having witnessed both Odysseus’ journey and Telemachus’ challenging life with the suitors, as it is the moment right before Telemachus and Odysseus get their revenge.

The poem “Ithaka” describes a hopeful journey, using imagery to visualise the adventures taken, “to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony.” It describes the journey Odysseus has taken, and can be interpreted as Odysseus telling the story to other people who will embark on a journey similar, such as to Telemachus. Furthermore, descriptive words have been used in order to give the readers the sensation of beginning this journey, using different senses such as smell “sensual perfume” to do this.

Moreover, the last line of the poem says “these Ithakas” which illustrates that Ithaka does not only represent a destination in this poem, however it is also a representation of the journey. Demonstrating that the journey is almost a representation of life, as it illustrates the hardship and the victories along the way, however overcoming them in the end. Odysseus goes to Ithaca knowing he will die there, and knowing the situation.

A theme that Homer often alludes to in The Odyssey is using intelligence as opposed to physical strength. This is important for Odysseus and his strenuous trip back to Ithaca. His crew often inconveniences him, and distracts Odysseus from his journey back home, therefore his sharp-wittedness has constantly assisted them to overcome the challenges faced.

A key example of Odysseus displaying his wit is during book 9. As Odysseus makes his way to the land of the Cyclopes, he finds himself at a cave with the Cyclops Polyphemus. This was significant as it was a test of how cunning Odysseus was. He knew his capabilities, and understood that he did not have the strength to stop Polyphemus, therefore as opposed to using physical strength to stop him, he was able to carefully create a plan that would outsmart the cyclops, resulting in the ability to remain unharmed. Even with the use of physical strength, when Odysseus uses the tool to blind the Cyclops, it still demonstrates Odysseus’ skilfulness. Odysseus took command of his crew, even during a difficult situation, having just witnessed the members of their crew being murdered, he was able to use his intellect to carefully craft a wooden spear. This illustrates that Odysseus’ cunningness is his strong asset, the need for physical strength is inferior compared to intellect. In the end, it was not his strength which saved him but his ability to adapt, and his sense of judgement. Furthermore, this is then portrayed as Polyphemus yells “My friends! Noman is killing me by tricks, not force!” Not only is it highlighting a key theme of The Odyssey, however Odysseus exploited Polyphemus’ lack of intelligence by using the name “Noman” to trick him.

Odysseus’ approach to overcoming a difficult situation is interesting as it contrasts with The Iliad. The hero of The Iliad, Achilles, uses physical strength, whereas Odysseus’ main objective is to return home therefore needing to use wisdom in order to overcome challenges. Achilles is much more violent in his approach, illustrating the different approach individuals can take when enduring a problem. Odysseus defeating Polyphemus in Book 9, is an example of how we can lead our lives. Our intellect is often undervalued, especially during situations where physical strength would be the obvious choice, however Odysseus is an example of how we all have the ability to rely on intelligence.

 

After doing this practice IO, I realised that my outline was too text heavy, it almost looked like a mini essay. However, while having a lot on my outline, I still felt that there was a lot I was not able to say. Not only due to time constraints but also due to not being able to fit it in my outline (though I already had so many points.) This was a big issue as I felt that sometimes I was not able to connect my thoughts properly, and did not transition to my quotes well. Furthermore, I was very nervous for this practice which was very clear in my recording, this can be improved on with time if I practice more, therefore feeling more natural during the recording. During this practice IO, I spent too much time writing ideas down and analysing quotes that I was not able to have much time to practice, which meant that it was harder during the recording. This also caused me to repeat myself a lot, which again could be improved by more practice.

Furthermore, I found that I could have improved on structure. The structure that I had planned on doing this recording was: Introduction, Sappho, Fun Home, Similarities, Conclusion. However due to time constraints I was unable to say the similarities, which was a significant weak point. I did not have enough connections between the two texts, which meant that it felt like I was talking about two completely different things. This is a problem due to not showing the similarities between the two, and also a problem of relevancy in my points. I can now improve on my IO after reflecting on these points.

I enjoy Beth Ann Fennelly’s compilation of short stories from her marriage. She is able to make something interesting out of very mundane events in her married life, I find that to be unique. She is able to make something captivating although it is very simple. I think the reason to this is because I am able to find them relatable, although I am not married, while reading the “Married Love” series I find myself recalling similar events with family or friends.

Furthermore, I find that her short stories contrast Sappho, Sappho’s poems are about longing, whereas Fennelly already has what Sappho longs for. This shows the contrasting views on love, as Sappho often makes love appear difficult, whereas Fennelly has portrayed it differently. The “Married Love” series makes love appear simple yet fulfilling.

However, similar to Sappho they both show traits of selfishness, Sappho longs for someone and we are able to see this jealousy in her poems. Fennelly, shows selfishness in “Sweet Nothing” as it is evident that she said “I love you” for her future self.