The passage described below can be found in The Odyssey Book 5, Lines 437-456, or on page 395 in the 3rd Edition of The Norton Anthology. The passage provides a very detailed description of Odysseus’ battle with the sea following his departure from Calypso’s island. Poseidon has sent a storm with the specific intention to cause Odysseus strife.
The first section of the passage, lines 437-447, is narration. The imagery used gives the reader an impression of scale, showing how small and powerless Odysseus is in comparison to the powerful, raging sea. This is accomplished through Homer’s diction, which is comprised of words that have strong, universally understood connotation. Odysseus gripped the rocks until “the skin was ripped off” his hands, showing the reader how determined Odysseus is to survive. It also allows the reader to gain an understanding of the treacherousness of the sea conditions. Homer writes that a wave “spat” Odysseus toward land, which reiterates the notion that the waves are aggressive and uncontrollable. The passage is mainly literal in its text and mostly lacks figurative language, which is important for such a visual passage and enhances its enargeia. Homer details the gravity of Odysseus’ situation without exaggeration or convoluted language. In this way, with simple sentences and literal description, Homer shows the situation is so substantial in its events that it does not require linguistic embellishment. These subtle yet weighted word choices serve to provide readers with more information about Odysseus as a character. They further solidify one of his signature traits: perseverance.
The second section of the passage, lines 448-456, are spoken by Odysseus. They are an invocation to the gods, in which Odysseus describes himself as “a wandering mortal, pitiful to the gods.” It is important to note that, at this point in the epic, Odysseus has already made clear to the reader that he knows of the gods’ involvement in his journey back to Ithaca. Interestingly, Odysseus is aware that some of the gods, or at least Poseidon, have bestowed struggle upon him, yet he continues to have hope that the gods will take pity on him and help him.
This passage continues to establish the narrative that the gods can become personally invested in the lives of humans. They can like or dislike someone—evident in that Athena has a liking for Odysseus and was there in some form to help him navigate the water, but Poseidon utterly despises him and ignited the storm entirely to thwart Odysseus’ journey. This furthers the notion that the gods are emotional, human-like, and engage in conflict among themselves. Athena and Poseidon, though both extremely invested in Odysseus’ journey, are at odds and work directly against one another. In addition, the passage suggests that the gods are just as important to the mortals as the mortals are important to the gods. Though Odysseus has much reason to resent the gods for not getting him home immediately and easily, Odysseus still invokes their help when he is in dire need. The whole passage strengthens the reader’s understanding of the dynamics of a god-mortal relationship. It also helps to give the reader a clearer idea of the politics of Mount Olympus, in that Homer exposes intra-god conflict further, and readers can see it in action.
What a fantastically vivid passage to choose. You do an excellent job, here, of noting the shift between narration and direct speech, and of linking the content of this passage to the broader themes of the work. One thing to note: Odysseus’ prayer is addressed to someone he calls “Riverlord”–who turns out to be the god governing the particular river feeding into the sea where he has washed up (“At these words the god… harbored the man/ In his river’s shallows”). Homer, here, doesn’t tell us in a moment of narrative description that there’s a river–rather, he reveals this geographical fact in Odysseus’ prayer and its effect on the waters around him.