Category: Writing

Read the passage and answer the questions below
Use this link to access the passage:
https://www.commonlit.org/texts/the-sit-in-movement
Questions:
1). Consider other forms of protesting, such as marching and rioting. In your opinion, are sit-ins an effective form of protest? Why or why not? Put yourself in the protestors’ shoes. Do you think that you could have sat there peacefully while people poured ketchup or hot liquids on you?
2). What forms of protest do you see occurring today? In your opinion, is it more common to see violent or peaceful protests? How are the protests of the Civil Rights movement still continuing today? What have you seen in the news or in your own towns and communities?
3). In the context of the article, how do people create change? What was required of civil rights activists in order to achieve their goals? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.
4). Why does promoting equal rights promote peace? Do you believe that the protestors of the sit-in movement were successful in promoting peace?

At the start of section 6 of Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” the speaker says, “A child said What is the grass?fetching it to me with full hands;” What’s the effect of this line? C) A. It indicates that section 6 isn’t an important part of “Song of Myself.” 0 B. It suggests Whitman’s fascination with urban life. © 6. It shows the speaker won’t be in control of this section of the poem. 0 D. It says children are wiser than adults. 0 E. It invites the reader to consider the question.

Hector Returns
Answer the question with the attached reading…
Contrast Achilles’ attitude to that of Hector. Given your understanding of the shape of the ancient world, do you think modern audiences were meant to identify with one or the other, and why?
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At Thetis’ request, Zeus intervenes to help the Trojans defeat the Achaeans. Bitter fighting resumes, causing massive casualties on both sides. Although the Achaeans suffer a disadvantage from Achilles’ absence, they manage to subdue the Trojans. Under the leadership of Diomedes, the Achaeans drive the Trojans back into temporary retreat behind the city gates. Realizing the gravity of the Trojan cause, Hector and his men go to Priam’s palace to urge the gods to take pity on Troy. Hector also tries to persuade his brother Paris, who caused the war by abducting Helen, to fight. Finally, Hector goes in search of his wife, Andromache. A flash of his helmet and off he strode and quickly reached his sturdy, well-built house. But white-armed Andromache- Hector could not find her in the halls. 5 She and the boy and a servant finely gowned were standing watch on the tower, sobbing, grieving. When Hector saw no sign of his loyal wife inside he went to the doorway, stopped and asked the servants, “Come, please, tell me the truth now, women. 10 Where’s Andromache gone? To my sisters’ house? To my brothers’ wives with their long flowing robes? Or Athena’s shrine where the noble Trojan women gather to win the great grim goddess over?” A busy, willing servant answered quickly, 15 “Hector, seeing you want to know the truth, she hasn’t gone to your sisters, brothers’ wives or Athena’s shrine where the noble Trojan women gather to win the great grim goddess over. Up to the huge gate-tower of Troy she’s gone 20 because she heard our men are so hard-pressed, the Achaean fighters coming on in so much force. She sped to the wall in panic, like a madwoman- the nurse went with her, carrying your child.” 336 Ancient Greece and Rome
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At that, Hector spun and rushed from his house, 25 back by the same way down the wide, well-paved streets throughout the city until he reached the Scaean Gates,’ the last point he would pass to gain the field of battle. There his warm, generous wife came running up to meet him, Andromache the daughter of gallant-hearted Eetion Reading Stra 30 who had lived below Mount Placos3 rich with timber, Analyze Confu tences Which in Thebe below the peaks, and ruled Cilicia’s people.4 lines 28-31 are His daughter had married Hector helmed in bronze. tial to the cent She joined him now, and following in her steps the sentence? a servant holding the boy against her breast, 5 in the first flush of life, only a baby, Hector’s son, the darling of his eyes and radiant as a star . . . Hector would always call the boy Scamandrius, townsmen called him Astyanax, Lord of the City, 40 since Hector was the lone defense of Troy. The great man of war breaking into a broad smile, his gaze fixed on his son, in silence. Andromache, pressing close beside him and weeping freely now, clung to his hand, urged him, called him: “Reckless one, my Hector-your own fiery courage will destroy you! Have you no pity for him, our helpless son? Or me, and the destiny that weighs me down, your widow, – now so soon? Yes, soon they will kill you off, all the Achaean forces massed for assault, and then, bereft (be reft’) adj 50 bereft of you, better for me to sink beneath the earth. deprived or robber What other warmth, what comfort’s left for me, once you have met your doom? Nothing but torment! I have lost my father. Mother’s gone as well. Father . . . the brilliant Achilles laid him low 55 when he stormed Cilicia’s city filled with people, Thebe with her towering gates. He killed Eetion, not that he stripped his gear-he’d some respect at least- for he burned his corpse in all his blazoned bronze, then heaped a grave-mound high above the ashes 30 and nymphs of the mountain planted elms around it, daughters of Zeus whose shield is storm and thunder. And the seven brothers I had within our halls . . all in the same day went down to the House of Death, the great godlike runner Achilles butchered them all, 95 tending their shambling oxen, shining flocks. Reading Check Who does Andromach 2. Eetion 1. Scaean (se’ en) Gates northwest gates of Troy. killed her father,
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And mother, who ruled under the timberline of woody Placos once- he no sooner haled her here with his other plunder than he took a priceless ransom, set her free and home she went to her father’s royal halls 70 where Artemis,6 showering arrows, shot her down. You, Hector-you are my father now, my noble mother, a brother too, and you are my husband, young and warm and strong! Pity me, please! Take your stand on the rampart here, Literary Analysis before you orphan your son and make your wife a widow. Theme and Foresha 75 Draw your armies up where the wild fig tree stands, ing What do Androm there, where the city lies most open to assault, che’s comments in th passage suggest abo the walls lower, easily overrun. Three times the fate of Hector, his they have tried that point, hoping to storm Troy, ily, and the city of Tro their best fighters led by the Great and Little Ajax, 80 famous Idomeneus, Atreus’ sons, valiant Diomedes.9 for Corral Perhaps a skilled prophet revealed the spot- or their own fury whips them on to attack.” And tall Hector nodded, his helmet flashing: “All this weighs on my mind too, dear woman. 85 . But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy and the Trojan women trailing their long robes if I would shrink from battle now, a coward. Nor does the spirit urge me on that way. I’ve learned it all too well. To stand up bravely, ford tittle of am. not 90 always to fight in the front ranks of Trojan soldiers, olmos (any winning my father great glory, glory for myself. Allow Smbob woot For in my heart and soul I also know this well: patel ymi teolove the day will come when sacred Troy must die, bigleaffurlan jer ; and sill Priam must die and all his people with him, down buffift vito s’pullED berazote ad nap 95 Priam who hurls the strong ash spear .. . Even so, it is less the pain of the Trojans still to come that weighs me down, not even of Hecubalo herself or King Priam, or the thought that my own brothers le vigil bauam- in all their numbers, all their gallant courage, 100 may tumble in the dust, crushed by enemies- That is nothing, nothing beside your agony when some brazen Argive hales you off in tears, wrenching away your day of light and freedom! sister of Apollo. 6. Artemis (ar’ te mis) goddess of the hunt and of the moon; daughter of Zeus and Leto; Critical Viewing 7. Great and Little Ajax Ajax of Salamis, son of Telamon, and Ajax of Locris, son of Oileus. How well do you think Deucalion. 8. Idomeneus (i’ da’ men yoos) commander of the Achaean forces from Crete; son of this painting captures the 9. Diomedes (di’ e me’ dez) son of Tydeus, king of Argos. mood of Hector’s farewell 10. Hecuba (hek’ you be) queen of Troy; wife of Priar to his family? Explain.
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13 1 Then far off in the land of Argos you must live, 105 laboring at a loom, at another woman’s beck and call, fetching water at some spring, Messeis or Hyperia, “! resisting it all the way- the rough yoke of necessity at your neck. And a man may say, who sees you streaming tears, 110 There is the wife of Hector, the bravest fighter they could field, those stallion-breaking Trojans, long ago when the men fought for Troy.’ So he will say What think tor if I 11. Messeis (me se’ is) . . . Hyperia (hip a ri a) locations of springs in Greece.
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and the fresh grief will swell your heart once more, widowed, robbed of the one man strong enough 115 to fight off your day of slavery. No, no, let the earth come piling over my dead body before I hear your cries, I hear you dragged away!” In the same breath, shining Hector reached down for his son-but the boy recoiled, 120 cringing against his nurse’s full breast, screaming out at the sight of his own father, terrified by the flashing bronze, the horsehair crest, the great ridge of the helmet nodding, bristling terror- so it struck his eyes. And his loving father laughed, 125 his mother laughed as well, and glorious Hector, quickly lifting the helmet from his head, set it down on the ground, fiery in the sunlight, and raising his son he kissed him, tossed him in his arms, lifting a prayer to Zeus and the other deathless gods: 130 “Zeus, all you immortals! Grant this boy, my son, may be like me, first in glory among the Trojans, strong and brave like me, and rule all Troy in power and one day let them say, ‘He is a better man than his father!’- when he comes home from battle bearing the bloody gear 135 of the mortal enemy he has killed in war- a joy to his mother’s heart.” So Hector prayed and placed his son in the arms of his loving wife. Andromache pressed the child to her scented breast, smiling through her tears. Her husband noticed, 140 and filled with pity now, Hector stroked her gently, trying to reassure her, repeating her name: “Andromache, dear one, why so desperate? Why so much grief for me? No man will hurl me down to Death, against my fate. 145 And fate? No one alive has ever escaped it, neither brave man nor coward, I tell you- Literary Analysis it’s born with us the day that we are born. Theme What outlook on So please go home and tend to your own tasks, life and death does Hecto the distaff and the loom, and keep the women express in this passage? working hard as well. As for the fighting, 150 men will see to that, all who were born in Troy but I most of all.” Andromache goes home, where she and her handmaidens mourn Hector in anticipation of his death. Paris takes arms and joins Hector in driving the Achaeans out of Troy. Hector and the Trojans campaign vigorously until they complet
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Achaeans off the battlefield back to their ships. To prevent the Achaeans from sailing away, the Trojans light watchfires and camp on the plain over- night, ready to attack in the morning. The demoralized Achaean army feels handicapped by Achilles’ absence. To persuade their most valuable fighter to reconsider and join the battle, Agamemnon sends Ajax and Odys- seus on an embassy to Achilles. In his speech to Achilles, Odysseus reminds him of his father’s advice. Peleus had told Achilles that the Argives would hold him in higher honor if he did not let the anger of his proud heart get the best of him. Odysseus adds that if Achilles gives up his anger and joins the Achaeans in battle, Agamemnon has promised to give Achilles numerous war prizes, including the prize he stole: Briseis. Finally, Odysseus pleads with Achilles to fight, if not in acceptance of Agamemnon’s offer, at least for the afflicted Achaeans who will honor Achilles as a god. Agamemnon’s offer serves only to drive Achilles deeper into his pride. Hurt, dishon- ored, and, above all, angry, he refuses to help the Greeks defeat Hector and the Trojans. Odysseus and Ajax return to Agamem- non with the news of their unsuccessful embassy.

In the class notes, the chapters 9-12 of the Odyssey are the so-called narratives (apologoi) in which Odysseus’ famous adventures are related by him directly. In these book the supernatural element predominates. As time passes, Odysseus’ adventures become increasingly fantastical, supernatural and otherworldly.
The task is to post a original statement  in which you list and discuss at least three of the specific supernatural and otherworldly adventures that Odysseus is narrating in these particular chapters and explain their effects on his journey and his men.
Class Notes:
CHAPTERS 5-13
Chapter 5:
This is the chapter in which Odysseus enters the narrative in “flesh and bone.” In all previous 4 chapters he was a shadow, an image, a recollection in people’s (like Nestor) talks.
We find him stranded on Calypso’s island. By now you should be able to figure out what is he doing there? For how long has he been there? Who is Calypso and what is her connection to Odysseus? Why does Odysseus reject Calypso’s alluring proposition to make him immortal? What finally takes him out of there and how?
Chapter 6:
Odysseus leaves Calypso’s island where he existed for 7 years without identity. Thus, he undergoes a symbolic birth. He is again in charge of his journey, destiny and
nostos
. The real threat to his
nostos
is amnesia, which Calypso’s island represented.
Chapters 7-8:
Odysseus enters the palace of the Phaeacians as the honored
xenos
. Key figures: Princess Nausicaa, King Alcinous, Queen Arete, the blind court bard of the Phaeacians, Demodocus. Pay attention to Demodocus’ song, which tells Odysseus’ story and reveals the two different modes of Odysseus struggle: cunning intelligence (
metis
) and physical strength (violence).
Find out who is Demodocus? Who brought him to the palace? What is Odysseus’ reaction to his song? What the song is about in detail?
Chapters 9-12:
The Narratives or
apologoi
.
These 4 crucial chapters find Odysseus in the very hospitable land of the Phaeacians.
Demodocus’ song has an immediate effect on Odysseus and sets the pace for Odysseus’ upcoming own narration, a confessional tale of his adventures that is called
apologoi
(or the
narratives
), a Greek term which means a story inside a story. It derives from the word
apologos
which means “story.” Odysseus’ apologoi is in books 9 to 12 of the
Odyssey
. In that apologoi Odysseus tells the Phaeacians the story of his travels from Troy to Calypso’s island Ogygia. The narrative turns from a third person narration (Homer telling the story) to a first-person narration (Odysseus narrating his own story) during those 4 chapters.
Pay attention to his tale which is full of supernatural elements. As time passes his adventures become more fantastical, supernatural, otherworldly.
Apologoi
trace a progression from violence to enchantment, from natural to supernatural.
Which are these adventures in particular? Please list them and know them. Highlight some of the key figures of this section: Cyclops, Cirke, Sirens, Tiresias, Anticleia, among others, and their relationship to Odysseus.
Chapter 11:
The Underworld. This is one of the most memorable supernatural spaces of the
Odyssey
. Prompted by Circe, Odysseus descends into the Underworld, the realm of Hades, a space of shadows in which the spirits of the dead reside for eternity. For Ancient Greeks there was no such distinction as Heaven and Hell after death (this is primarily a division of monotheistic religions). The Underworld, ruled by Hades, is a democratic space where all dead spirits – the good and the bad – descend and coexist. It is not entirely uncommon for a privileged epic hero like Odysseus to be allowed to descend to the Underworld temporarily for the purpose of conversing with dead spirits who will give him knowledge about the past and divination (ability to foresee) about the future. In this chapter Elpenor is the first dead spirit to encounter Odysseus, he is the bridge between the living and the dead. Some of the key spirits that will speak to Odysseus in his journey under after Elpenor are: Tiresias, Anticleia, Achilles, Agamemnon. Please single them out and follow their encounters with Odysseus and the importance of their messages to him. Know WHO they are and HOW they relate to Odysseus.
We should begin by asking what the overall purpose of his journey was down there and who are some of the KEY figures he encounters? Another key question to ponder is what did Odysseus learn in the Underworld? What truths and predictions about his destiny did he extract from the dead and how did the knowledge he acquired in the Underworld determine the course of events in his subsequent path?
Chapter 13:
According to Greek superstition 13 is not a lucky number, but for Odysseus it certainly is! Chapter 13 is when he finally reaches Ithaca after 20 years. He is back home! And so, a new adventure begins at home that will run through the remaining half of the book. If the first half is about traveling, surviving , disguising, returning, the second is about reuniting, plotting, revealing, restoring.
But who brought to Ithaca? What is his first reaction of the place?
What/where is Ithaca exactly? Does it exist? This topic will occupy our attention next week.
ROLES OF WOMEN/SHAPESHIFTNG/DIALOGUE WITH DEATH
In addition, I wanted to expand further upon some of the themes you are currently reading about in the
Odyssey.
Some of these themes and motifs have become archetypes that influence literature and art ever since.
To begin with, in
The Odyssey
, it is clear that truth is not a good criterion by which to judge the success of a story.” Storytelling, like the character of Odysseus, is
polytropous
, shape-shifting, tricking, complicated and highly intriguing. In this light, everyone should suspect the connection between the actions of the main character and the intentions of the storyteller. Is Homer hiding behind Odysseus? Who knows? Certainly, he hides behind his story!
Why women are so important in this story? To begin with, without women’s decisions and actions (let alone loyalty and cunning) there wouldn’t be any HOME for Odysseus to return to; thus, there would NOT be a story. And so, women are as omnipresent and significant in this narrative as the sea, that great, untamable, motherly, fluid element that shapes and maintains Odysseus’ adventures from Troy to Ithaca. Athena, Penelope, Euricleia, Anticleia, Cirke, Nausicaa, Calypso -both the mortal and the immortal main and secondary female characters- support and encourage Odysseus’ epic journey (Calypso does it reluctantly, but she does).
As a critic mentions, “Odysseus values Penelope’s intelligence, and the poem celebrates the desirability of ‘like-mindedness’ within a marriage.”. Moreover, cunning intelligence and resolution are not exclusive masculine properties in the
Odyssey
. The poem tells us that even though women were not regarded as equal to men in Homer’s time, yet they were AS resourceful as men.
Another topic of discussion is the everlasting allure of Ithaca (Odysseus’ home island and destination) not only as the physical place and home of Odysseus, but also as a state of mind that underlies the modern understanding of the
Odyssey
as a spiritual biography. Ithaca is a symbol of a home, of a destination. It is the heart and image of
nostos
(more notes on this topic to posted tomorrow).
Another topic and motif of the
Odyssey
that I would like you to evaluate is that of Divine Intervention. Odysseus receives abundant help from Athena throughout his journey. In fact, without Athena’s intervention, Odysseus would not have reached his destination. Does this add or detract from his achievement? I would like you to ponder over this question as we will be discussing it later on.
These are some primary themes of the poem we should emphasize:
SHAPE SHIFTING
-The
Odyssey
is fascinated with transformations and disguises. These are some characters that embody transformation:
Circe, Proteus, Athena, Odysseus
-The poem is a generic shape-shifter, changing from a heroic epic into a quest narrative, a revenge tragedy, a domestic comedy, a romance and a biography.
-The poem is as fluid as the sea: it is unlimited, unfixable, wonderful.
WOMEN’S ROLES
-Odysseus values Penelope’s intelligence, and the poem celebrates the desirability of like-mindedness’ within a marriage. It was to Penelope, after all, that Odysseus delegated the responsibility of his household. The satisfactory outcome of the poem depends us much upon Penelope’s qualities as on those of Odysseus.
-Athena as a divine alter-ego of Penelope: shape-shifting, cunning, uncompromised protector of Odysseus and his legacy.
-Penelope’s space: a room of solitude and determination to develop an identity in the absence of Odysseus
DIALOGUE WITH DEATH
-Part of Odysseus’ long return in the path of
nostos
(
Nostos
: significant both of action of returning and the story of the person who returns by sea.) Conceiving death as a journey to a darker location veiled from the sun and the living, a phenomenon manifested in almost all the world’s myth systems reflected in literary works from
The Epic of Gilgamesh
to
The Odyssey
.
-The Underworld: a primordial place of a buried humanity and its secret wisdom of experience.
-Significant spirits encountered by Odysseus: Elpenor, Teiresias, Anticlea, Agamemnon, Achilles
-The
nekyia
(
katabasis
, or the descent of the living to the underworld) also refers to the process of artistic production itself as it may offer a metaphor for a literary encounter with writers of the past
FOUR HOMERIC TERMS TO REMEMBER AS DEFINED ABOVE:
METIS
APOLOGOI
NOSTOS
NEKYIA
CHAPTERS:
Chapter 9
A Pirate in a Shepherd’s Cave
Wily Odysseus, the lord of lies,
answered,
“My lord Alcinous, great king,
it is a splendid thing to hear a poet
as talented as this. His voice is godlike.
I think that there can be no greater pleasure
than when the whole community enjoys
a banquet, as we sit inside the house,
and listen to the singer, and the tables
are heaped with bread and meat; the wine boy ladles
drink from the bowl and pours it into cups.      10
To me this seems ideal, a thing of beauty.
Now something prompted you to ask about
my own sad story. I will tell you, though
the memory increases my despair.
Where shall I start? Where can I end? The gods
have given me so much to cry about.
First I will tell my name, so we will be
acquainted and if I survive, you can
be my guest in my distant home one day.
I am Odysseus, Laertes’ son,           20
known for my many clever tricks and lies.
My fame extends to heaven, but I live
in Ithaca, where shaking forest hides
Mount Neriton. Close by are other islands:
Dulichium, and wooded Zacynthus
and Same. All the others face the dawn;
my Ithaca is set apart, most distant,
facing the dark. It is a rugged land,
but good at raising children. To my eyes
no country could be sweeter. As you know,        30
divine Calpyso held me in her cave,
wanting to marry me; and likewise Circe,
the trickster, trapped me, and she wanted me
to be her husband. But she never swayed
my heart, since when a man is far from home,
living abroad, there is no sweeter thing
than his own native land and family.
Now let me tell you all the trouble Zeus
has caused me on my journey home from Troy.
A blast of wind pushed me off course towards        40
the Cicones in Ismarus. I sacked
the town and killed the men. We took their wives
and shared their riches equally among us.
Then I said we must run away. Those fools
refused to listen. They were drinking wine
excessively, and killing sheep and cattle
along the beach. The Cicones called out
to neighbors on the mainland, who were strong
and numerous, and skilled at horseback fighting,
and if need be, on foot. They came like leaves         50
and blossoms in the spring at dawn. Then Zeus
gave us bad luck. Poor us! The enemy
assembled round the ships and fought with swords
of bronze. And while the holy morning light
was bright and strong, we held them off, though they
outnumbered us. But when the sun turned round
and dipped, the hour when oxen are released,
the Cicones began to overpower
us Greeks. Six well-armed members of my crew
died from each ship. The rest of us survived,          60
and we escaped the danger. We prepared
to sail away with heavy hearts, relieved
to be alive, but grieving for our friends.
Before we launched the ships, we called aloud
three times to each of our poor lost companions,
slaughtered at the hands of the Cicones.
The Cloud Lord Zeus hurled North Wind at our ships,
a terrible typhoon, and covered up
the sea and earth with fog. Night fell from heaven
and seized us and our ships keeled over sideways;        70
the sails were ripped three times by blasting wind.
Scared for our lives, we hoisted down the sails
and rowed with all our might towards the shore.
We stayed there for two days and nights, exhausted,
eating our hearts with pain. When bright-haired Dawn
brought the third morning, we set up our masts,
unfurled the shining sails, and climbed aboard.
The wind blew straight, the pilots steered, and I
would have come safely home, to my own land,
but as I rounded Malea, a current.        80
and blast of wind pushed me off course, away
from Cythera. For nine days I was swept
by stormy winds across the fish-filled sea.
On the tenth day, I landed on the island
of those who live on food from lotus flowers.
We gathered water, and my crew prepared
a meal. We picnicked by the ships, then I
chose two men, and one slave to make the third,
to go and scout. We needed to find out
what kind of people lived there on that island.        90
The scouts encountered humans, Lotus-Eaters,
who did not hurt them. They just shared with them
their sweet delicious fruit. But as they ate it,
they lost the will to come back and bring news
to me. They wanted only to stay there,
feeding on lotus with the Lotus-Eaters.
They had forgotten home. I dragged them back
in tears, forced them on board the hollow ships,
pushed them below the decks, and tied them up.
I told the other men, the loyal ones,       100
to get back in the ships, so no one else
would taste the lotus and forget about
our destination. They embarked and sat
along the rowing benches, side by side,
and struck the grayish water with their oars.
With heavy hearts we sailed along and reached
the country of high-minded Cyclopes,
the mavericks. They put their trust in gods,
and do not plant their food from seed, nor plow,
and yet the barley, grain, and clustering wine-grapes      110
all flourish there, increased by rain from Zeus.
They hold no councils, have no common laws,
but live in caves on lofty mountaintops,
and each makes laws for his own wife and children,
without concern for what the others think.
A distance from this island is another,
across the water, slantways from the harbor,
level and thickly wooded. Countless goats
live there but people never visit it.
No hunters labor through its woods to scale        120
its hilly peaks. There are no flocks of sheep,
no fields of plowland—it is all untilled,
unsown and uninhabited by humans.
Only the bleating goats live there and graze.
Cyclopic people have no red-cheeked ships
and no shipwright among them who could build
boats, to enable them to row across
to other cities, as most people do,
crossing the sea to visit one another.
With boats they could have turned this island into        130
a fertile colony, with proper harvests.
By the gray shore there lie well-watered meadows,
where vines would never fail. There is flat land
for plowing, and abundant crops would grow
in the autumn; there is richness underground.
The harbor has good anchorage; there is
no need of anchor stones or ropes or cables.
The ships that come to shore there can remain
beached safely till the sailors wish to leave
and fair winds blow. Up by the harbor head        140
freshwater gushes down beneath the caves.
The poplars grow around it. There we sailed:
the gods were guiding us all through the darkness.
Thick fog wrapped round our ships and in the sky
the moon was dark and clothed in clouds, so we
saw nothing of the island. None of us
could see the great waves rolling in towards
the land, until we rowed right to the beach.
We lowered all the sails and disembarked
onto the shore, and there we fell asleep.        150
When early Dawn shone forth with rosy fingers,
we roamed around that island full of wonders.
The daughters of the great King Zeus, the nymphs,
drove out the mountain goats so that my crew
could eat. On seeing them, we dashed to fetch
our javelins and bows from on board ship.
We split into three groups, took aim and shot.
Some god gave us good hunting. All twelve crews
had nine goats each, and ten for mine. We sat there
all day till sunset, eating meat and drinking       160
our strong red wine. The ships’ supply of that
had not run out; when we had sacked the holy
citadel of the Cicones, we all
took gallons of it, poured in great big pitchers.
We looked across the narrow strip of water
at the Cyclopic island, saw their smoke,
and heard the baaing of their sheep and goats.
The sun went down and in the hours of darkness
we lay and slept on shore beside the sea.
But when the rosy hands of Dawn appeared,      170
I called my men together and addressed them.
‘My loyal friends! Stay here, the rest of you,
while with my boat and crew I go to check
who those men are, find out if they are wild,
lawless aggressors, or the type to welcome
strangers, and fear the gods.’
With that, I climbed
on board and told my crew to come with me
and then untie the cables of the ship.
Quickly they did so, sat along the benches,
and struck the whitening water with their oars.
The journey was not long. Upon arrival,
right at the edge of land, beside the sea,
we saw a high cave overhung with laurel,
the home of several herds of sheep and goats.
Around that cave was built a lofty courtyard,
of deep-set stones, with tall pines rising up,
and leafy oaks. There lived a massive man
who shepherded his flocks all by himself.
He did not go to visit other people,
but kept apart, and did not know the ways      190
of custom. In his build he was a wonder,
a giant, not like men who live on bread,
but like a wooded peak in airy mountains,
rising alone above the rest.
I told
my loyal crew to guard the ship, while I
would go with just twelve chosen men, my favorites.
I took a goatskin full of dark sweet wine
that I was given by Apollo’s priest,
Maron the son of Euanthes, who lived
inside the shady grove on Ismarus.                200
In reverence to the god, I came to help him,
and save his wife and son. He gave me gifts:
a silver bowl and seven pounds of gold,
well wrought, and siphoned off some sweet strong wine,
and filled twelve jars for me—a godlike drink.
The slaves knew nothing of this wine; it was
known just to him, his wife, and one house girl.
Whenever he was drinking it, he poured
a single shot into a cup, and added
twenty of water, and a marvelous smell             210
rose from the bowl, and all would long to taste it.
I filled a big skin up with it, and packed
provisions in a bag—my heart suspected
that I might meet a man of courage, wild,
and lacking knowledge of the normal customs.
We soon were at the cave, but did not find
the Cyclops; he was pasturing his flocks.
We went inside and looked at everything.
We saw his crates weighed down with cheese, and pens
crammed full of lambs divided up by age:         220
the newborns, middlings, and those just weaned.
There were well-crafted bowls and pails for milking,
all full of whey. My crew begged, ‘Let us grab
some cheese and quickly drive the kids and lambs
out of their pens and down to our swift ships,
and sail away across the salty water!’
That would have been the better choice. But I
refused. I hoped to see him, and find out
if he would give us gifts. In fact he brought
no joy to my companions. Then we lit        230
a fire, and made a sacrifice, and ate
some cheese, and sat to wait inside the cave
until he brought his flocks back home. He came
at dinnertime, and brought a load of wood
to make a fire. He hurled it noisily
into the cave. We were afraid, and cowered
towards the back. He drove his ewes and nannies
inside to milk them, but he left the rams
and he-goats in the spacious yard outside.
He lifted up the heavy stone and set it         240
to block the entrance of the cave. It was
a rock so huge and massive, twenty-two
strong carts could not have dragged it from the threshold.
He sat, and all in order milked his ewes
and she-goats, then he set the lambs to suck
beside each bleating mother. Then he curdled
half of the fresh white milk, set that aside
in wicker baskets, and the rest he stored
in pails so he could drink it with his dinner.
When he had carefully performed his chores,        250
he lit a fire, then looked around and saw us.
‘Strangers! Who are you? Where did you come from
across the watery depths? Are you on business,
or roaming round without a goal, like pirates,
who risk their lives at sea to bring disaster
to other people?’
So he spoke. His voice,
so deep and booming, and his giant size,
made our hearts sink in terror. Even so,
I answered,
‘We are Greeks, come here from Troy.
The winds have swept us off in all directions     260
across the vast expanse of sea, off course
from our planned route back home. Zeus willed it so.
We are proud to be the men of Agamemnon,
the son of Atreus, whose fame is greatest
under the sky, for sacking that vast city
and killing many people. Now we beg you,
here at your knees, to grant a gift, as is
the norm for hosts and guests. Please sir, my lord:
respect the gods. We are your suppliants,
and Zeus is on our side, since he takes care       270
of visitors, guest-friends, and those in need.’
Unmoved he said, ‘Well, foreigner, you are
a fool, or from some very distant country.
You order me to fear the gods! My people
think nothing of that Zeus with his big scepter,
nor any god; our strength is more than theirs.
If I spare you or spare your friends, it will not
be out of fear of Zeus. I do the bidding
of my own heart. But are you going far
in that fine ship of yours, or somewhere near?’           270
He spoke to test me, but I saw right through him.
I know how these things work. I answered him
deceitfully.
‘Poseidon, the Earth-Shaker,
shipwrecked me at the far end of your island.
He pushed us in; wind dashed us on the rocks.
We barely managed to survive.’
But he
made no reply and showed no mercy. Leaping
up high, he reached his hands towards my men,
seized two, and knocked them hard against the ground
like puppies, and the floor was wet with brains.          290
He ripped them limb by limb to make his meal,
then ate them like a lion on the mountains,
devouring flesh, entrails, and marrow bones,
and leaving nothing. Watching this disaster,
we wept and lifted up our hands in prayer
to Zeus. We felt so helpless. When the Cyclops
had filled his massive belly with his meal
of human meat and unmixed milk, he lay
stretched out among his flocks. Then thinking like
a military man, I thought I should            300
get out my sword, go up to him and thrust
right through his torso, feeling for his liver.
That would have doomed us all. On second thoughts,
I realized we were too weak to move
the mighty stone he set in the high doorway.
So we stayed there in misery till dawn.
Early the Dawn appeared, pink fingers blooming,
and then he lit his fire and milked his ewes
in turn, and set a lamb by every one.
When he had diligently done his chores,         310
he grabbed two men and made a meal of them.
After he ate, he drove his fat flock out.
He rolled the boulder out and back with ease,
as one would set the lid upon a quiver.
Then whistling merrily, the Cyclops drove
his fat flocks to the mountain. I was left,
scheming to take revenge on him and hurt him,
and gain the glory, if Athena let me.
I made my plan. Beside the pen there stood
a great big club, green olive wood, which he         320
had cut to dry, to be his walking stick.
It was so massive that it looked to us
like a ship’s mast, a twenty-oared black freighter
that sails across the vast sea full of cargo.
I went and cut from it about a fathom,
and gave it to the men, and ordered them
to scrape it down. They made it smooth and I
stood by and sharpened up the tip, and made it
hard in the blazing flame. The cave was full
of dung; I hid the club beneath a pile.          330
Then I gave orders that the men cast lots
for who would lift the stake with me and press it
into his eye, when sweet sleep overtook him.
The lots fell on the men I would have chosen:
four men, and I was fifth among their number.
At evening he drove back his woolly flocks
into the spacious cave, both male and female,
and left none in the yard outside—perhaps
suspecting something, or perhaps a god
told him to do it. He picked up and placed           340
the stone to form a door, and sat to milk
the sheep and bleating goats in turn, then put
the little ones to suck. His chores were done;
he grabbed two men for dinner. I approached
and offered him a cup of ivy wood,
filled full of wine. I said,
‘Here, Cyclops! You
have eaten human meat; now drink some wine,
sample the merchandise our ship contains.
I brought it as a holy offering,
so you might pity me and send me home.         350
But you are in a cruel rage, beyond
what anyone could bear. Do you expect
more guests, when you have treated us so rudely?’
He took and drank the sweet delicious wine;
he loved it, and demanded more.
‘Another!
And now tell me your name, so I can give you
a present as my guest, one you will like.
My people do have wine; grape clusters grow
from our rich earth, fed well by rain from Zeus.
But this is nectar, god food!’
So I gave him        360
another cup of wine, and then two more.
He drank them all, unwisely. With the wine
gone to his head, I told him, all politeness,
‘Cyclops, you asked my name. I will reveal it;
then you must give the gift you promised me,
of hospitality. My name is Noman.
My family and friends all call me Noman.’
He answered with no pity in his heart,
‘I will eat Noman last; first I will eat
the other men. That is my gift to you.’            370
Then he collapsed, fell on his back, and lay there,
his massive neck askew. All-conquering sleep
took him. In drunken heaviness, he spewed
wine from his throat, and chunks of human flesh.
And then I drove the spear into the embers
to heat it up, and told my men, ‘Be brave!’
I wanted none of them to shrink in fear.
The fire soon seized the olive spear,
green though it was, and terribly it glowed.
I quickly snatched it from the fire. My crew           380
stood firm: some god was breathing courage in us.
They took the olive spear, its tip all sharp,
and shoved it in his eye. I leaned on top
and twisted it, as when a man drills wood
for shipbuilding. Below, the workers spin
the drill with straps, stretched out from either end.
So round and round it goes, and so we whirled
the fire-sharp weapon in his eye. His blood
poured out around the stake, and blazing fire
sizzled his lids and brows, and fried the roots.         390
As when a blacksmith dips an axe or adze
to temper it in ice-cold water; loudly
it shrieks. From this, the iron takes on its power.
So did his eyeball crackle on the spear.
Horribly then he howled, the rocks resounded,
and we shrank back in fear. He tugged the spear
out of his eye, all soaked with gushing blood.
Desperately with both hands he hurled it from him,
and shouted to the Cyclopes who lived
in caves high up on windy cliffs around.        400
They heard and came from every side, and stood
near to the cave, and called out, ‘Polyphemus!
What is the matter? Are you badly hurt?
Why are you screaming through the holy night
and keeping us awake? Is someone stealing
your herds, or trying to kill you, by some trick
or force?’
Strong Polyphemus from inside
replied, ‘My friends! Noman is killing me
by tricks, not force.’
Their words flew back to him:
‘If no one hurts you, you are all alone:              410
Great Zeus has made you sick; no help for that.
Pray to your father, mighty Lord Poseidon.’
Then off they went, and I laughed to myself,
at how my name, the ‘no man’ maneuver, tricked him.
The Cyclops groaned and labored in his pain,
felt with blind hands and took the door-stone out,
and sat there at the entrance, arms outstretched,
to catch whoever went out with the sheep.
Maybe he thought I was a total fool.
But I was strategizing, hatching plans,          420
so that my men and I could all survive.
I wove all kinds of wiles and cunning schemes;
danger was near and it was life or death.
The best idea I formed was this: there were
those well-fed sturdy rams with good thick fleece,
wool as dark as violets—all fine big creatures.
So silently I tied them with the rope
used by the giant Cyclops as a bed.
I bound the rams in sets of three and set
a man beneath each middle sheep, with one        430
on either side, and so my men were saved.
One ram was best of all the flock; I grabbed
his back and curled myself up underneath
his furry belly, clinging to his fleece;
by force of will I kept on hanging there.
And then we waited miserably for day.
When early Dawn revealed her rose-red hands,
the rams jumped up, all eager for the grass.
The ewes were bleating in their pens, unmilked,
their udders full to bursting. Though their master        440
was weak and worn with pain, he felt the back
of each ram as he lined them up—but missed
the men tied up beneath their woolly bellies.
Last of them all, the big ram went outside,
heavy with wool and me—the clever trickster.
Strong Polyphemus stroked his back and asked him,
‘Sweet ram, why are you last today to leave
the cave? You are not normally so slow.
You are the first to eat the tender flowers,
leaping across the meadow, first to drink,         450
and first to want to go back to the sheepfold
at evening time. But now you are the last.
You grieve for Master’s eye; that wicked man,
helped by his nasty henchmen, got me drunk
and blinded me. Noman will not escape!
If only you could talk like me, and tell me
where he is skulking in his fear of me.
Then I would dash his brains out on the rocks,
and make them spatter all across the cave,
to ease the pain that no-good Noman brought.’          460
With that, he nudged the ram away outside.
We rode a short way from the cave,
then I first freed myself and then untied my men.
We stole his nice fat animals, and ran,
constantly glancing all around and back
until we reached the ship. The other men
were glad to see us, their surviving friends,
but wept for those who died. I ordered them
to stop their crying, scowling hard at each.
I made them shove the fleecy flock on board,          470
and row the boat out into salty water.
So they embarked, sat on their rowing benches,
and struck their oar blades in the whitening sea.
When I had gone as far as shouts can carry,
I jeered back,
‘Hey, you, Cyclops! Idiot!
The crew trapped in your cave did not belong
to some poor weakling. Well, you had it coming!
You had no shame at eating your own guests!
So Zeus and other gods have paid you back.’
My taunting made him angrier. He ripped         480
a rock out of the hill and hurled it at us.
It landed right in front of our dark prow,
and almost crushed the tip of the steering oar.
The stone sank in the water; waves surged up.
The backflow all at once propelled the ship
landwards; the swollen water pushed us with it.
I grabbed a big long pole, and shoved us off.
I told my men, ‘Row fast, to save your lives!’
and gestured with my head to make them hurry.
They bent down to their oars and started rowing.         490
We got out twice as far across the sea,
and then I called to him again. My crew
begged me to stop, and pleaded with me.
‘Please!
Calm down! Why are you being so insistent
and taunting this wild man? He hurled that stone
and drove our ship right back to land. We thought
that we were going to die. If he had heard us,
he would have hurled a jagged rock and crushed
our heads and wooden ship. He throws so hard!
But my tough heart was not convinced; I was         500
still furious, and shouted back again,
‘Cyclops! If any mortal asks you how
your eye was mutilated and made blind,
say that Odysseus, the city-sacker,
Laertes’ son, who lives in Ithaca,
destroyed your sight.’
He groaned, ‘The prophecy!
It has come true at last! There was a tall
and handsome man named Telemus, the son
of Eurymus, who lived among my people;
he spent his life here, soothsaying for us.               510
He told me that Odysseus’ hands
would make me lose my sight. I always thought
a tall and handsome man would visit me,
endowed with strength and courage. But this weakling,
this little nobody, has blinded me;
by wine he got the best of me. Come on,
Odysseus, and let me give you gifts,
and ask Poseidon’s help to get you home.
I am his son; the god is proud to be
my father. He will heal me, if he wants,           520
though no one else, not god nor man, can do it.’
After he said these words, I answered him,
‘If only I could steal your life from you,
and send you down to Hades’ house below,
as sure as nobody will ever heal you,
even the god of earthquakes.’
But he prayed
holding his arms towards the starry sky,
‘Listen, Earth-Shaker, Blue-Haired Lord Poseidon:
acknowledge me your son, and be my father.
Grant that Odysseus, the city-sacker,              530
will never go back home. Or if it is
fated that he will see his family,
then let him get there late and with no honor,
in pain and lacking ships, and having caused
the death of all his men, and let him find
more trouble in his own house.’
Blue Poseidon
granted his son’s prayer. Polyphemus raised
a rock far bigger than the last, and swung,
then hurled it with immeasurable force.
It fell a little short, beside our rudder,                 540
and splashed into the sea; the waves surged up,
and pushed the boat ahead, to the other shore.
We reached the island where our ships were docked.
The men were sitting waiting for us, weeping.
We beached our ship and disembarked, then took
the sheep that we had stolen from the Cyclops
out of the ship’s hold, and we shared them out
fairly, so all the men got equal portions.
But in dividing up the flock, my crew
gave me alone the ram, the Cyclops’ favorite.       550
There on the shore, I slaughtered him for Zeus,
the son of Cronus, god of Dark Clouds, Lord
of all the world. I burned the thighs. The god
ignored my offering, and planned to ruin
all of my ships and all my loyal men.
So all day long till sunset we were sitting,
feasting on meat and drinking sweet strong wine.
But when the sun went down and darkness fell,
we went to sleep beside the breaking waves.
Then when rose-fingered Dawn came, bright and early,         560
I roused my men and told them to embark
and loose the cables. Quickly they obeyed,
sat at their rowing benches, all in order,
and struck the gray saltwater with their oars.
So we sailed on, with sorrow in our hearts,
glad to survive, but grieving for our friends.”
Chapter 10
The Winds and the Witch
“We reached the floating island of Aeolus,
who is well loved by all the deathless gods.
Around it, on sheer cliffs, there runs a wall
of solid bronze, impregnable. Twelve children
live with him in his palace: six strong boys,
and six girls. He arranged their marriages,
one sister to each brother. They are always
feasting there with their parents, at a banquet
that never ends. By day, the savor fills
the house; the court reverberates with sound.        10
At night they sleep beside the wives they love
on rope beds piled with blankets.
We arrived at that fine citadel. He welcomed me
and made me stay a month, and asked for news
of Troy, the Argive ships, and how the Greeks
went home. I told him everything. At last
I told him he should send me on my way.
So he agreed to help me, and he gave me
a bag of oxhide leather and he tied
the gusty winds inside it. Zeus, the son      20
of Cronus, made him steward of the winds,
and he can stop or rouse them as he wishes.
He bound the bag with shining silver wire
to my curved ship, so no gust could escape,
however small, and he made Zephyr blow
so that the breath could carry home our ships
and us. But it was not to be. Our folly
ruined us. For nine days and nights we sailed,
and on the tenth, our native land appeared.
We were so near, we saw men tending fires.      30
Exhausted, I let sweet sleep overcome me.
I had been doing all the steering, hoping
that we would get home sooner if I did.
But while I slept my men began to mutter,
saying the great Aeolus gave me gifts—
silver and gold that I was taking home.
With glances to his neighbor, each complained,
‘It seems that everybody loves this man,
and honors him, in every place we sail to.
He also has that loot from sacking Troy.       40
We shared the journey with him, yet we come
back home with empty hands. And now Aeolus
has made this friendly gift to him. So hurry,
we should look in the bag, and see how much
is in there—how much silver, how much gold.’
That bad idea took hold of them; they did it.
They opened up the bag, and all the winds
rushed out at once. A sudden buffet seized us
and hurled us back to sea, the wrong direction,
far from our home. They screamed and I woke up,       50
and wondered if I should jump off the ship
and drown, or bite my lip, be stoical,
and stay among the living. I endured it,
covered my face, and lay on deck. A blast
of storm wind whooshed the ships back to the island
of great Aeolus. They began to weep.
We disembarked and filled our jars with water,
and hungrily the men devoured their dinner.
When they were done, I took one slave with me
and one crew member, back to see Aeolus.       60
He was at dinner with his wife and children.
We entered and sat down beside the doorposts.
Startled, they asked,
‘Why are you here again?
You had bad luck? What happened? Surely we
helped you go on your way, and meant for you
to reach your homeland, where you wished to go.’
I answered sadly, ‘Blame my men, and blame
my stubborn urge to sleep, which ruined us.
Dear friends, you have the power to put things right.’
I hoped these words would soften them, but they.       70
were silent. Then the father yelled, ‘Get out!
You nasty creature, leave my island! Now!
It is not right for me to help convey
a man so deeply hated by the gods.
You godforsaken thing, how dare you come here?
Get out!’
He roared and drove us from his palace.
Dispirited, we sailed away. The men
grew worn out with the agony of rowing;
our folly had deprived us of fair winds.
We rowed six days and nights; the seventh day.       80
we came to Laestrygonia—the town
of Telepylus upon the cliffs of Lamos.
A herdsman there, returning to his home,
can greet another herdsman going out.
A sleepless man could earn a double wage
by herding cows, then pasturing white sheep—
the paths of day and night are close together.
We reached the famous harbor, all surrounded
by sheer rock cliffs. On each side, strips of shore
jut out and almost meet, a narrow mouth.         90
No waves rear up in there, not even small ones.
White calm is everywhere. So all the others
harbored their ships inside, crammed close together.
I was the only one who chose to moor
my ship outside the harbor, fastening
the cables to a rock a way away.
I disembarked and climbed a crag to scout.
I saw no sign of cattle or of humans,
except some smoke that rose up from the earth.
I picked two men, and one slave as the third,       100
and sent them to find out what people lived
and ate bread in this land. They disembarked
and walked along a smooth path, where the wagons
brought wood down from the mountains to the city.
They met a girl in front of town, out fetching
some water. She was heading for the fountain
of Artaky, the whole town’s water source.
She was the strapping child of Antiphates,
king of the Laestrygonians. They asked her
about the king and people of the country.       110
She promptly took them to the high-roofed palace
of her own father. When they went inside
they found a woman, mountain-high. They were
appalled and shocked. The giantess at once
summoned the king her husband from the council;
he tried to kill my men, and grabbing one
he ate him up. The other two escaped,
back to the ship. The king’s shout boomed through town.
Hearing, the mighty Laestrygonians
thronged from all sides, not humanlike, but giants.       120
With boulders bigger than a man could lift
they pelted at us from the cliffs. We heard
the dreadful uproar of ships being broken
and dying men. They speared them there like fish.
A gruesome meal! While they were killing them
inside the harbor, I drew out my sword
and cut the ropes that moored my dark-cheeked ship,
and yelling to my men, I told them, ‘Row
as fast as possible away from danger!’
They rowed at double time, afraid to die.         130
My ship was lucky and we reached the sea
beyond the overhanging cliffs. The rest,
trapped in the bay together, were destroyed.
We sailed off sadly, happy to survive,
but with our good friends lost. We reached Aeaea,
home of the beautiful, dreadful goddess Circe,
who speaks in human languages—the sister
of Aeetes whose mind is set on ruin.
Those two are children of the Sun who shines
on mortals, and of Perse, child of Ocean.       140
Under the guidance of some god we drifted
silently to the harbor, and we moored there.
For two days and two nights we lay onshore,
exhausted and our hearts consumed with grief.
On the third morning brought by braided Dawn,
I took my spear and sharp sword, and I ran
up from the ship to higher ground, to look
for signs of humans, listening for voices.
I climbed up to a crag, and I saw smoke
rising from Circe’s palace, from the earth         150
up through the woods and thickets. I considered
if I should go down and investigate,
since I had seen the smoke. But I decided
to go back down first, to the beach and ship
and feed my men, and then set out to scout.
When I had almost reached my ship, some god
took pity on me in my loneliness,
and sent a mighty stag with great tall antlers
to cross my path. He ran down from the forest
to drink out of the river; it was hot.        160
I struck him in the middle of his back;
my bronze spear pierced him. With a moan,
he fell onto the dust; his spirit flew away.
I stepped on him and tugged my bronze spear out,
and left it on the ground, while I plucked twigs
and twines, and wove a rope, a fathom’s length,
well knotted all the way along, and bound
the hooves of that huge animal. I went
down to my dark ship with him on my back.
I used my spear to lean on, since the stag         170
was too big to be lugged across one shoulder.
I dumped him down before the ship and made
a comforting pep talk to cheer my men.
‘My friends! We will not yet go down to Hades,
sad though we are, before our fated day.
Come on, since we have food and drink on board,
let us not starve ourselves; now time to eat!’
They quickly heeded my commands, and took
their cloaks down from their faces, and they marveled
to see the big stag lying on the beach.          180
It was enormous. When they finished staring,
they washed their hands and cooked a splendid meal.
So all that day till sunset we sat eating
the meat aplenty and the strong sweet wine.
When darkness fell, we went to sleep beside
the seashore. Then the roses of Dawn’s fingers
appeared again; I called my men and told them,
‘Listen to me, my friends, despite your grief.
We do not know where darkness lives, nor dawn,
nor where the sun that shines upon the world         190
goes underneath the earth, nor where it rises.
We need a way to fix our current plight,
but I do not know how. I climbed the rocks
to higher ground to look around. This is
an island, wreathed about by boundless sea.
The land lies low. I saw smoke in the middle,
rising up through the forest and thick bush.’
At that, their hearts sank, since they all remembered
what happened with the Laestrygonians,
their King Antiphates, and how the mighty.       200
Cyclops devoured the men. They wept and wailed,
and shed great floods of tears. But all that grieving
could do no good. I made them wear their armor,
and split them in two groups. I led one,
and made godlike Eurylochus lead the other.
We shook the lots in a helmet made of bronze;
Eurylochus’ lot jumped out. So he
went with his band of twenty-two, all weeping.
Those left behind with me were crying too.
Inside the glade they found the house of Circe        210
built out of polished stones, on high foundations.
Round it were mountain wolves and lions, which
she tamed with drugs. They did not rush on them,
but gathered around them in a friendly way,
their long tails wagging, as dogs nuzzle round
their master when he comes back home from dinner
with treats for them. Just so, those sharp-clawed wolves
and lions, mighty beasts, came snuggling up.
The men were terrified. They stood outside
and heard some lovely singing. It was Circe,       220
the goddess. She was weaving as she sang,
an intricate, enchanting piece of work,
the kind a goddess fashions. Then Polites,
my most devoted and most loyal man,
a leader to his peers, said,
‘Friends, inside
someone is weaving on that massive loom,
and singing so the floor resounds. Perhaps
a woman, or a goddess. Let us call her.’
They shouted out to her. She came at once,
opened the shining doors, and asked them in.       230
So thinking nothing of it, in they went.
Eurylochus alone remained outside,
suspecting trickery. She led them in,
sat them on chairs, and blended them a potion
of barley, cheese, and golden honey, mixed
with Pramnian wine. She added potent drugs
to make them totally forget their home.
They took and drank the mixture. Then she struck them,
using her magic wand, and penned them in
the pigsty. They were turned to pigs in body            240
and voice and hair; their minds remained the same.
They squealed at their imprisonment, and Circe
threw them some mast and cornel cherries—food
that pigs like rooting for in muddy ground.
Eurylochus ran back to our black ship,
to tell us of the terrible disaster
that happened to his friends. He tried to speak,
but could not, overwhelmed by grief. His eyes
were full of tears, his heart was pierced with sorrow.
Astonished, we all questioned him. At last        250
he spoke about what happened to the others.
‘Odysseus, we went off through the woods,
as you commanded. In the glade we found
a beautiful tall house of polished stone.
We heard a voice: a woman or a goddess
was singing as she worked her loom. My friends
called out to her. She opened up the doors,
inviting them inside. Suspecting nothing,
they followed her. But I stayed there outside,
fearing some trick. Then all at once, they vanished.        260
I sat there for a while to watch and wait,
but none of them came back.’
At this, I strapped
my silver-studded sword across my back,
took up my bow, and told him, ‘Take me there.’
He grasped my knees and begged me tearfully,
‘No no, my lord! Please do not make me go!
Let me stay here! You cannot bring them back,
and you will not return here if you try.
Hurry, we must escape with these men here!
We have a chance to save our lives!’
I said,       270
‘You can stay here beside the ship and eat
and drink. But I will go. I must do this.’
I left the ship and shore, and walked on up,
crossing the sacred glades, and I had almost
reached the great house of the enchantress
Circe, when I met Hermes, carrying his wand
of gold. He seemed an adolescent boy,
the cutest age, when beards first start to grow.
He took my hand and said,
‘Why have you come
across these hills alone? You do not know         280
this place, poor man. Your men were turned to pigs
in Circe’s house, and crammed in pens. Do you
imagine you can set them free? You cannot.
If you try that, you will not get back home.
You will stay here with them. But I can help you.
Here, take this antidote to keep you safe
when you go into Circe’s house. Now I
will tell you all her lethal spells and tricks.
She will make you a potion mixed with poison.
Its magic will not work on you because        290
you have the herb I gave you. When she strikes you
with her long wand, then draw your sharpened sword
and rush at her as if you mean to kill her.
She will be frightened of you, and will tell you
to sleep with her. Do not hold out against her—
she is a goddess. If you sleep with her,
you will set free your friends and save yourself.
Tell her to swear an oath by all the gods
that she will not plot further harm for you—
or while you have your clothes off, she may hurt you,     300
unmanning you.’
The bright mercurial god
pulled from the ground a plant and showed me how
its root is black, its flower white as milk.
The gods call this plant Moly. It is hard
for mortal men to dig it up, but gods
are able to do everything. Then Hermes
flew through the wooded island, back towards
high Mount Olympus. I went in the house
of Circe. My heart pounded as I walked.
I stood there at the doorway, and I saw her,        310
the lovely Circe with her braided hair.
I called; she heard and opened up the doors
and asked me in. I followed nervously.
She led me to a silver-studded chair,
all finely crafted, with a footstool under.
In a gold cup she mixed a drink for me,
adding the drug—she hoped to do me harm.
I sipped it, but the magic did not work.
She struck me with her wand and said,
‘Now go!
Out to the sty, and lie there with your men!’         320
But I drew my sharp sword from by my thigh
and leapt at her as if I meant to kill her.
She screamed and ducked beneath the sword, and grasped
my knees, and wailing asked me,
‘Who are you?
Where is your city? And who are your parents?
I am amazed that you could drink my potion
and yet not be bewitched. No other man
has drunk it and withstood the magic charm.
But you are different. Your mind is not
enchanted. You must be Odysseus,       330
the man who can adapt to anything.
Bright flashing Hermes of the golden wand
has often told me that you would sail here
from Troy in your swift ship. Now sheathe your sword
and come to bed with me. Through making love
we may begin to trust each other more.’
I answered, ‘Circe! How can you command me
to treat you gently, when you turned my men
to pigs, and you are planning to play tricks
in telling me to come to bed with you,         340
so you can take my courage and my manhood
when you have got me naked? I refuse
to come to bed with you, unless you swear
a mighty oath that you will not form plans
to hurt me anymore.’
When I said that,
at once she made the oath as I had asked.
She vowed and formed the oath, and then at last
I went up to the dazzling bed of Circe.
Meanwhile, four slaves, her house girls, were at work
around the palace. They were nymphs, the daughters.     350
of fountains and of groves and holy rivers
that flow into the sea. One set fine cloths
of purple on the chairs, with stones beneath them.
Beside each chair, another pulled up tables
of silver and set golden baskets on them.
The third mixed up inside a silver bowl
sweet, cheering wine, and poured it in gold cups.
The fourth brought water, and she lit a fire
beneath a mighty tripod, till it boiled.
It started bubbling in the copper cauldron;      360
she took me to the bathtub, and began
to wash my head and shoulders, using water
mixed to the perfect temperature, to take
my deep soul-crushing weariness away.
After the bath, she oiled my skin and dressed me
in fine wool cloak and tunic, and she led me
to a silver-studded well-carved chair, and set
a footstool underneath. Another slave
brought water for my hands, in a gold pitcher,
and poured it over them, to a silver bowl.       370
She set a polished table near. The cook
brought bread and laid a generous feast, and Circe
told me to eat. But my heart was unwilling.
I sat there with my mind on other things;
I had forebodings. Circe noticed me
sitting, not touching food, and weighed by grief.
She stood near me and asked, ‘Odysseus!
why are you sitting there so silently,
like someone mute, eating your heart, not touching
the banquet or the wine? You need not fear.        380
Remember, I already swore an oath.’
But I said, ‘Circe, no! What decent man
could bear to taste his food or sip his wine
before he saw his men with his own eyes,
and set them free? If you are so insistent
on telling me to eat and drink, then free them,
so I may see with my own eyes my crew
of loyal men.’
So Circe left the hall
holding her wand, and opened up the pigsty
and drove them out, still looking like fat boars,          390
large and full grown. They stood in front of her.
Majestic Lady Circe walked among them,
anointing each with some new drug. The potion
had made thick hog-hairs sprout out on their bodies.
Those bristles all flew off and they were men,
but younger than before, and much more handsome,
and taller. Then they recognized me. Each
embraced me tightly in his arms, and started
sobbing in desperation. So the house
rang loud with noise, and even she herself     400
pitied them. She came near to me and said,
‘Odysseus, you always find solutions.
Go now to your swift ship beside the sea.
First drag the ship to land, and bring your stores
and all your gear inside the caves. Then come
back with your loyal men.’
My heart agreed;
I went down to my swift ship on the shore.
I found my loyal men beside the ship,
weeping and shedding floods of tears. As when
a herd of cows is coming back from pasture.     410
into the yard; and all the little heifers
jump from their pens to skip and run towards
their mothers, and they cluster round them, mooing;
just so my men, as soon as they saw me,
began to weep, and in their minds it seemed
as if they had arrived in their own home,
the land of rugged Ithaca, where they
were born and raised. Still sobbing, they cried out,
‘Oh, Master! We are glad to see you back!
It is as if we had come home ourselves,          420
to Ithaca, our fatherland. But tell us
about how all our other friends were killed.’
I reassured them, saying, ‘First we must
drag up the ship to land, and put the stores
and all our gear inside the caves; then hurry,
all of you, come with me, and see your friends
inside the goddess Circe’s holy house,
eating and drinking; they have food enough
to last forever.’
They believed my story,
with the exception of Eurylochus,          430
who warned them,
‘Fools! Why would you go up there?
Why would you choose to take on so much danger,
to enter Circe’s house, where she will turn us
to pigs or wolves or lions, all of us,
forced to protect her mighty house for her?
Remember what the Cyclops did? Our friends
went to his home with this rash lord of ours.
Because of his bad choices, they all died.’
At that, I thought of drawing my long sword
from by my sturdy thigh, to cut his head off     440
and let it fall down to the ground—although
he was close family. My men restrained me,
saying to me, ‘No, king, please let him go!
Let him stay here and guard the ship, and we
will follow you to Circe’s holy house.’
So they went up, away from ship and shore.
Eurylochus did not stay there; he came,
fearing my angry scolding.
Meanwhile Circe
had freed the other men, and in her house
she gently bathed them, rubbing them with oil.         450
She had them dressed in woolen cloaks and tunics.
We found them feasting in the hall. The men,
seeing each other face-to-face again,
began to weep; their sobbing filled the hall.
The goddess stood beside me and said,
‘King,
clever Odysseus, Laertes’ son,
now stop encouraging this lamentation.
I know you and your men have suffered greatly,
out on the fish-filled sea, and on dry land
from hostile men. But it is time to eat         460
and drink some wine. You must get back the drive
you had when you set out from Ithaca.
You are worn down and brokenhearted, always
dwelling on pai

Character analysis
create character analysis of either ‘Fantomina’ or Beauplaisir from Eliza Haywood’s “Fantomina; or, Love in a Maze”. This analysis should attempt to answer the question – Using your chosen character, what is Haywood saying about the relationship between men and women in the 1700’s?
Logistics
Format: , parenthetical references and works cited page
Additionally: Include at least three (3) quotes from the text to support your interpretation
How to get started
Select the character that you will write on (you may only choose one). Even if you’ve already heard or read this story before, you will probably need to reread it. It will help you notice something new that you’ve missed before. Keep in mind or highlight every place that your character appears.
Take note of the setting, climax, and other important literary parts. You must be able to feel and see through the characters. Observe how the writer shaped these characters into life. Notice how little or how vast the identities of the characters were described. Look at the characters’ morals and behavior and how it affects situations and other characters in the story. Observe the characters whom you find interesting.
Different Categories of Characters
Determine the character type. One character can belong to two or three categories.
Protagonist. Such people tend to be heroes. Despite the beliefs of many people, the main characters do not necessarily have to possess only positive traits. Moreover, sometimes they can be villains (murderers, thieves, etc.) It all depends on the author’s imagination and vision of this world.
Antagonists. The opposite of the protagonist means being against the main character. Except for the villain or several enemies, the antagonist may be portrayed by the force of nature, animal, or else. Once again, the antagonist may sometimes possess better human qualities than the protagonist. In addition, it is a more complex and interesting person for analysis, as a rule.
Major. Majors appear when several main heroes are involved. For instance, if there are three main roles like Remark usually includes. The number of majors is unlimited as there may be several stories united into one basic plot line.
Minor. These people either help the main heroes or prevent them from achieving the goal by implementing various obstacles. These objects are good for analysis as they are part of the story too. It would be less exciting without them. These elements of the story are usually static (unchanging), so they may be less interesting to be chosen for your analysis.
Dynamic. Undergoes substantial internal changes as a result of one or more plot developments. The dynamic character’s change can be extreme or subtle, as long as his or her development is important to the book’s plot or themes.
Static. Does not change his or her morals, behavior, or ideas over the course of a story—or they change very little. A static character’s emotions, personality, and psychology will be the same at the end of a story as they are at its beginning. Villains are typically static characters—evil at the outset, evil until their last breath.
Minor: These are the figures who help tell the major character’s tale by letting them interact and reveal their personalities, situations, stories. They are commonly static (unchanging).
Foils: These are the people whose job is to contrast with the major character.
Consider the Following
What specific descriptions does the author provide for each character? What kinds of relationship does your character have with others?
How do the actions of the character move the plot forward?
Describe the person you’ve chosen. Include his or her traits.
Turn to the plot of the chosen story. Focus on the main conflict. What is the role of your object in this situation? How is he/she developing throughout the story?
What are the character’s physical appearance, personality, and background?
What were the conflicts that the character experienced and how did he/she overcome them? What can we learn from this character?

Food Matters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader
Book by Holly Bauer
Chapter 4 Questions
If you had to draw conclusions about the future of food based on Foley’s essay, what would you conclude? Is he convincing? Are you optimistic that a plan like his could or will work? If so, why? If not, why not?
Why, According to Borunda, is the relationship between plastic packaging and food waste so complicated?
Why, according to Gustin, don’t “one-size-fits-all” recommendations work when we attempt to lessen the impacts of climate change on food choices?
In Jacobsen’s article, why did Patrick O. Brown set out to create an animal-free burger?
What is Walker’s implicit argument? Why do you think she chose to make it this way?
How does American agriculture negatively affect fish supplies? Describe how Greenberg uses the Mississippi River to answer this question.
How and why does Smith use humor to connect to his audience? Find two to three uses of humor to analyze and discuss what makes them funny and why.
Why, According to Beck, is it important that we all care about how the climate crisis is affecting the Swinomish tribe — their food, health, culture, and identity?

Food Matters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader
Book by Holly Bauer
Chapter 5 Questions
What kind of hybrid approach to food production is suggested by Biello? What evidence does he present to support his argument in favor of this approach?
What does Paarlberg suggest about the future of the politics of food? What are at least two ways to respond to his position? What do you think is the best way? Explain your response.
Why, based on the article by Yun, Kessler ad Glickman, do you think that there is so much confusion about what constitutes healthy eating? What do you think would help lessen the confusion?
Why do you think Marosi specifically calls out Walmart? What role does Walmart play in this story?
What connections does Lappé argue exist among food availability, hunger, farming practices, biotechnology, and democracy? How does she describe their current relationships? How would she change them if she could?
Why do you think Quinn and Carisle explain the chemistry of the various kinds of oil in such detail? Why do they matter to his story? Why should they matter to farmers and citizens more widely?
How, according to wang, is Plenty Inc. being funded? Why is this significant? And what is its expansion plan?

in the story luck PART A: What does the term “pell-mell” most closely mean as it is used in paragraph 16?
A
Bravely
B
With vigor
C
Gracefully
D
Frantically

THE RHODORA
Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1)   In May, when sea winds pierced our solitude,
(2)   I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,
(3)   Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,
(4)   To please the desert and the sluggish brook.
(5)   The purple petals, fallen in the pool,
(6)   Made the black water with their beauty gay;
(7)   Here might the redbird come his plumes to cool,
(8)   And court the flower that cheapens his array
(9)   Rhodora! If the sages ask thee why
(10)          This charm is wasted on the earth and sky
(11)          Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
(12)          Then beauty is its own excuse for being.
(13)          Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose!
(14)          I never thought to ask, I never knew.
(15)          But in my simple ignorance I suppose
(16)          The self-same Power that brought me here brought you.
About the author:
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher and poet. He began his career as a Unitarian minister in Boston, but achieved worldwide fame as a lecturer and author for his essays Self-Reliance, History, The Over-Soul and Fate.
Direction:
Answer the questions
A.   Vocabulary: Check out the meaning of these words and use each word in a sentence.
1.     Solitude
2.     Nook
3.     Sluggish
4.     Plumes
5.     Sage
6.     Pierced
B.    Imagery and Poetic Devices
1.     Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem.
2.     The Rhodora’s petals are purple. What does purple connote?
3.     What images can you see in the poem? What do you think does each mean or symbolize?
C.   Comprehension Questions
1.     Where is the setting of the poem? Describe the setting.
2.     To what flower did the poet compare the Rhodora?
3.     What contrast can you observe in the appearance of the Rhodora with that of the setting?
4.     What could be the reason why God put the Rhodora in that particular setting?
5.     Explain Lines 11 and 12 in the poem:
Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
Then beauty is its own excuse for being.
THE LAST LEAF
O. Henry
About the author:
William Sydney Porter in real life is better known by his pen name O. Henry. He was an American short story writer. His stories expressed the effect of coincidence on character through humor, grim or ironic, and often had surprise endings, a device that became identified with his name and cost him critical favor when its trend had passed.
A.   Vocabulary: Check out the meaning of these words.
1.     District
(In a little district west of Washington Square the streets have run crazy and broken.)
2.     Traversing
(Suppose a collector with a bill for paints, paper and canvas should, in traversing this route, suddenly meet himself.)
3.     Quaint
(To quaint old Greenwich Village the art people soon came prowling.)
4.     Congenial
(They had met at the table and found their tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves so congenial that the joint studio resulted.)
5.     Solicitously
(Sue looked solicitously out the window.)
6.     Carriages
(My patient begins to count carriages at the funeral.)
7.     Strange
(The disease has left her mind full of strange ideas.)
B.    Symbolism and Figures of Speech
1.     Identify the figures of speech used in the story and the corresponding lines.
2.     Explain the symbolism of the following:
1.     The falling leaves
2.     The last leaf
3.     Mr. Berhman
4.     Winter
C.   Comprehension Questions
1.     How would you describe the relationship between Johnsy and Sue? How is their relationship important to the story?
2.     Do you think Johnsy really believes that she will pass away with the last leaf? Why or why not?
3.     One of the central ideas of the story is hope. How do you relate it to your day-to-day life?
4.     You may also consider friendship as another theme of the story. How is this shown in the story?
5.     What is friendship?
6.     What characteristics of a friend do you like him or her to possess?
7.     What do you think is the conflict in the story? Explain.
8.     O. Henry is famous for writing stories with a “twist,” or surprise at the end. What was the twist in this story? Were you surprised? Explain.
9.     What is your overall opinion of the story?

1. Identify two books that your students will read. Make sure the books are grade level appropriate and align with your content area. See the rubric for specific requirements. You must provide your grade level and content area of licensure in the assignment.
2. Combine the course readings with independent research on literacy assessment strategies in order to create plans to assess students’ literacy focusing on each dimension of literacy – oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
3. Make sure that your plans connect to the books that your students will read by including specific vocabulary from the book in word based assessments and include specific comprehension strategies when assessing comprehension. Make sure to plan for assessing phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency even if you plan to teach at the secondary level.
4. Cite the credible sources you found through your research on literacy assessment to create your plans