“Now you think you’ll shuffle off and get away after that impudence? Oh, no you don’t! The stool he let fly hit the man’s right shoulder on the packed muscle under the shoulder blade – like solid rock, for all the effect one saw (1030, Homer).” Here explains how a man named Antinous (leader of the suitors) throws a chair at a man (Odysseus the main character in disguise) because of an argument that had occurred earlier. Because of Antinous’ ignorant behavior the man ignored it. This shows a poetic device that Homer uses in The Odyssey called a simile; like solid rock, for all the effect one saw. Homer applies the theme of using poetic devices and how it used to portray the details of the events. Speaking of which, Homer uses poetic devices to portray a more interesting story and makes the story seem more than it seems. In the story The Odyssey, readers can then understand, interpret and imagine what events are occurring because using poetic devices just like using figurative language to make give the reader a better visual of the storyline. In The Odyssey, Homer uses quite a lot of poetic devices. Giving only three examples; epic simile, simile, and personification from the three poetic devices, it’ll be fully explained and quoted.
Twenty years had gone by and Odysseus returns, he is now with his son Telemachus. An epic simile is used to explain “Then throwing his arms around his marvel of a father Telemachus began to weep. Salt tears rose from the wells of longing in both men, and cries burst from both as keen and fluttering as those of all taloned hawk, whose farmers take before they fly. So helplessly they cried pouring out tears, and might have gone on weeping till sundown (1025, Homer).” This quote is an epic simile because Odysseus and his son Telemachus’ cries were being compared to the great taloned hawk and the farmer who took care of it, because of how keen and fluttering the hawk was and ‘cause of the farmer watching the hawk fly away after taking care of it ever since it was a baby knowing it grew up and is now starting a new, made the farmer cry tears of joy. Being united with your loved one once again after twenty years, had a major impact on Odysseus.
Odysseus gets his revenge he had always wanted on the rude, cocky, and many suitors because of the disrespecting from every one of them and for trying to take everything (home, wife, etc.) from him. A simile is used to explain “Odysseus’ arrow hit him under the feathers through his throat. Backward and down he went, letting the wine cup fall from his shocked hand. Like pipes his nostrils jetted crimson runnels, a river of mortal red, and one last kick upset his table knocking the bread and meat to soak in dusty blood (1039, Homer).” This is a simile because Odysseus beats Antinous, he had a bad nose bleed – it was being compared to pipes jetting out crimson runnels. Odysseus finally gets his revenge on Antinous.
Odysseus returns home to see that his dog Argus isn’t as strong and active as he was before. Personification is used to explain “Now misery has him in leash (1029, Homer).” This quote is a personification because of Argus (Odysseus’ dog), his misery has him on a leash with no where to go and he has to suffer in one place alone.
Homer’s portraying of using poetic devices makes it more interesting and makes it more than it seems. Homer uses poetic devices; epic simile, simile, personification, they all are used much in the story The Odyssey; it’s one of Homer’s greatest stories. If you haven’t read it yet, you should. The Odyssey is full of gods, action, adventure, etc. For the people who have already read it, re-read it and try to see how many poetic devices you can find. Most of the poetic devices really do make the book seem better.
