When you hear the word home, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the place where you were raised, or where you’re currently residing? Do you think of something more emotional such as a person that you are most comfortable with, perhaps even yourself? Different people have different definitions of the word home. Homer uses it in a more literal way in his epic poem “The Odyssey” and Oliver used the word in a more spiritual way in her poem “The Journey”. “The Odyssey” by Homer was written back in the 8th century BC as a follow up of Homer's first epic poem “The Iliad”. The story follows King Odysseus of Ithaca and his men on their journey home from the Trojan war. “The Journey” written by Mary Oliver presents the journey of one
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Odysseus learns how much he truly longs for Ithaca. The beginning of the poem, Part One: Book 1 Starts off with Odysseus, through the singing of a Muse tells his story of his journey home. The Muses sing about how “He saw the townlands and learned the minds of many distant men, and weathered many bitter nights and days in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.” (371) Odysseus fought through treacherous situations in hopes of one day returning to the shores of Ithaca with his men to reclaim his throne. When he left to fight in the Battle of Troy he probably did not expect his voyage back to be nearly half as hard as it was, but his longing to come home kept him going. As Odysseus’ ships approached the Lotus Eaters in Book 9, Odysseus explains how after a few of his men had already eaten the plants sweet honey he “...drove them, all three wailing, to the ships, tied them down under their rowing benches, and called the rest: ‘All hands aboard; come, clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home.’ Filing in to their places by the rowlocks my oarsmen dipped their long oars in the surf, and we moved out again on our sea faring” (373) Odysseus wants to return home himself, and he simultaneously is being a great leader by forcing his men to fight the temptation of eating the sweet, enchanting flower. We know of …show more content…
The speaker learns to become self aware. The poem starts off with the speaker realizing the need for change in their lives by writing “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice- though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles. ‘Mend my life!’ each voice cried. But you didn’t stop.” (442) The speaker is embarking on a spiritual journey, and realizing that something needed to change kickstarted this journey. The speaker appears to be breaking free of negativity in their life. The poem continues and line 19 says “It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones. But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice, which was slowly recognized as your own,” (422) Throughout the journey, the speaker let the debris of negativity shed off of her, and only when she left the horrible thoughts in the past she could find herself. After the speaker found their own voice, they write “that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world, determined to do the only thing you could do- determined to save the only life you could save.” (422) The speaker is finally coming to an end of the long, difficult journey. They are returning home. By becoming
Odysseus learns how much he truly longs for Ithaca. The beginning of the poem, Part One: Book 1 Starts off with Odysseus, through the singing of a Muse tells his story of his journey home. The Muses sing about how “He saw the townlands and learned the minds of many distant men, and weathered many bitter nights and days in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.” (371) Odysseus fought through treacherous situations in hopes of one day returning to the shores of Ithaca with his men to reclaim his throne. When he left to fight in the Battle of Troy he probably did not expect his voyage back to be nearly half as hard as it was, but his longing to come home kept him going. As Odysseus’ ships approached the Lotus Eaters in Book 9, Odysseus explains how after a few of his men had already eaten the plants sweet honey he “...drove them, all three wailing, to the ships, tied them down under their rowing benches, and called the rest: ‘All hands aboard; come, clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home.’ Filing in to their places by the rowlocks my oarsmen dipped their long oars in the surf, and we moved out again on our sea faring” (373) Odysseus wants to return home himself, and he simultaneously is being a great leader by forcing his men to fight the temptation of eating the sweet, enchanting flower. We know of …show more content…
The speaker learns to become self aware. The poem starts off with the speaker realizing the need for change in their lives by writing “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice- though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles. ‘Mend my life!’ each voice cried. But you didn’t stop.” (442) The speaker is embarking on a spiritual journey, and realizing that something needed to change kickstarted this journey. The speaker appears to be breaking free of negativity in their life. The poem continues and line 19 says “It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones. But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice, which was slowly recognized as your own,” (422) Throughout the journey, the speaker let the debris of negativity shed off of her, and only when she left the horrible thoughts in the past she could find herself. After the speaker found their own voice, they write “that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world, determined to do the only thing you could do- determined to save the only life you could save.” (422) The speaker is finally coming to an end of the long, difficult journey. They are returning home. By becoming