LITERATURE CIRCLES

Literary Luminary
Name: Martin Ibasco
Text: The Odyssey: Book 1-4
Date: July 27
Books: The Odyssey by Richmond Lattimore

Literary Luminary: The Odyssey features a powerful array of epithets and figures of
speech. Your job is: (a) to prepare a summary of the reading. Make a quick statement to discuss
the UNIVERSAL TRUTH found in the text; (b) to identify “Golden Lines”—or special passages
in the text (interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important sections). You will also ponder on
how certain lines in the text are further illuminated in succeeding scenes. Decide which passages
or paragraphs are worth remembering, and indicate how you plan to present them: (a) You can
read the passages aloud yourself, (b) ask someone else to read them, or (c) read them together
as a group. Make sure to discuss your analysis of the selected text.

Quick Statement: What, for you, is the UNIVERSAL TRUTH in the text? Compare
this with others’.
The universal truth was that in the absence of the father, the son must step
up and take his place and duties in the family.

GOLDEN LINES Book Significance and Analysis

Book 1 The speaker of this
But the heart in me is torn line shows deep
for the sake of wise sadness for Odysseus
Odysseus, unhappy man, who has yet to return.
still, far from his friends, is
suffering griefs on the sea
washed island, the naval of
all the waters, a wooden
island, and there a goddess
has made her dwelling place;
Book 1
But come, let all of us who This text shows that
are here work out his the gods want to
homecoming and see it that unite to help find
he returns. Poseidon shall Odysseus.
put away his anger; for all
alone and against the will of
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the other immortal gods

united he can accomplish
anything.
Book 1
Easy for them, since without The character is
penalty they eat up the assuming that
substance of a man whose Odysseus is already
white bones lie out in the dead.
rain and fester somewhere on
the mainland or roll in the
wash of breakers.

Book 2
Athene drifted an
enchantment of grace upon Here we see him
him, and all the people had taking up his father's
their eyes on him as he came role.
forward. He sat in his father's
seat, and the elders made
way before him.
Book 2
“Young men, my suitors now She is telling the
that the great Odysseus has young men to wait
perished, wait though you until she is ready.
are eager to marry me , until
I finish this web, so that my
weaving will not be useless
and wasted...”
Book 2
So she spoke, and the proud Although she seemed
heart in us was persuaded. like she was slowly
Thereafter in the daytime she getting ready, she
would weave at her great was not truly ready
loom, but in the night she as she could not seem
would have torches set by, to finish the weaving
and undo it. as she removed it at
night.

His mother bore this man to Book 3

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be wretched. Do not soften it

because you pity me and are
sorry for me, but fairly tell
me all that your eyes have He wants a straight
witnessed. I implore you, if clear cut answer and
ever noble Odysseus, my is sort of desperate to
father, ever undertook any find it out.
word or work and fulfilled it
for you, n the land of the
Trojans where you Achaians
suffered, tell me these things
from your memory. And tell
me the whole truth.

A whistling wind rose up and Book 3

began to blow and the ships A lot of casualties
ran very fast across those concurred.
ways full of fish, and at
nighttime brought us in at
Geraistos. We sacrificed
many thigh bones of bulls to
Poseidon, having measured
the great open water.

Book 3
Thrasymedes, the high –
hearted son of Nestor, They made a sacrifice
standing lose up, struck and to Athene
the ax chopped its way
through the tendons of the
neck and unstrung the
strength of the cow
Book 4
He spoke, and started in all Odysseus was a well
of them the desire for cared for man in
weeping. Helen of Argos, whom these
daughter of Zeus, wept , so characters were fond
too Telemachos wept, as did of.
Menelaos the son of Atreus,
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Book 4
“No longer now, son of
Atreus, spend your time on He was telling him
these wasting tears, for I that he was just
know no good that will come wasting his time.
out of it. Rather with all
speed endeavor to make
good your way back to the
land of your fathers.

Possible Reasons for Picking a Passage:

funny controversial important surprising

confusing informative