The journey back home is a common theme in The Odyssey. The question of what the exact fate of Odysseus will define The Odyssey, and has been debated for centuries by scholars, with no clear-cut answer. In The Odyssey, Odysseus travels from Troy to Ithaca by way of the land of the Phaecians, The Lotus-Eaters, The Cyclops Polyphemus, The Island of Aeolus, The Laestrygonians, The Underworld and Circe’s island.
Odysseus is welcomed by Calypso to her island for a period of one year where he is able to remain indefinitely with peace and contentment. However, after seven years on the island Odysseus desires to return home and begins planning his departure from Calypso’s island. While Odysseus’ journey begins on Calypso’s island , his story is not truly resolved until he arrives at Ithaca. In The Odyssey, Homer defines home as part of resolution through the use of metaphor.
The first aspect of this metaphor is the home Odysseus left which now has become The Land of The Dead. The second aspect of the metaphor is The Land of The Living, Ithaca, which Odysseus must make his way towards to ultimately attain true resolution. The death-like characteristics of The Land of The Dead and the life-giving aspects of The Land of The Living are represented in The Odyssey through Homer’s use of light and darkness as a metaphor for mortality and immortality.
“The sun shed a greater light when it rose from the stream of Oceanus, drawing up water and golden dust with its rays. ” The sun veiled itself in clouds as Odysseus fled Troy at night because he was ashamed to face his wife Penelope. In The Sea Marge, Homer’s protagonist used this analogy to describe how the ship sailed away from Ithaca into exile that would be long and grueling. The metaphor is one that shows beauty but also evokes great sadness. The dawn represents hope but also a departure from what one loves most dearly.
Sometimes this job can be too difficult for a writer to put down on. A metaphor has been defined as a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. The metaphor of the dawn perfectly illustrates Homer’s depiction of Odysseus’ journey from Troy back home to Ithaca, as well as his struggle with this return. The use of metaphor can also play a role in how we understand The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, the poet uses metaphors repeatedly throughout the work, many of which use nature and its elements to enhance their significance.
The sea is particularly significant because it separates him from Penelope, but it appears only four times in The Odyssey. The first time is at the very beginning where Odysseus sees Ithaca for the first time after ten years of war and ten years of journeying. The second is at The Sea Marge. The third is in The Phaeacians, where the god Poseidon visits Odysseus and tries to ensure his death through The Sea. The fourth is upon Odysseus’ arrival back to Ithaca, when he sees his home for the first time after so long away from it. This brings us to The Metaphor of the Dawn.
Homer’s use of this metaphor reveals a “sense of closure” through its connection with nature and its elements. The use of natural imagery throughout The Odyssey emphasizes Homer’s belief that home is not simply a physical location> The first line of The Metaphor on the dawn is one that evokes “a sense of hope and expectations. ” The sun is different from The Sea. The Metaphor of the Dawn serves as The Odyssey’s closure because it brings Odysseus home to his beloved Penelope. The metaphor itself is beautiful, but it also provides an understanding how much The Odyssey relies on nature.
The “rosy-fingered dawn” symbolizes Odysseus’ capricious nature, immaturity, and the dawn is characterized by constant change. The progression of Odysseus’ odyssey is also accompanied by changes in his development as a man. The sun which appears to rise with the morning star, is replaced with Helios when he returns home to Ithaca. The departure of Dawn shows her submission to Hera, but her return allows for the continuation of the journey.
The transition from woman to goddess symbolizes Odysseus’ transformation into masculinity throughout his journey; however, this transformation reaches its climax upon his arrival back at Ithaca. After killing all of the suitors, Odysseus returns to his rightful place on the throne, which can be symbolized by his return home. The imagery associated with The Metaphor of the Dawn only becomes apparent after the end of The Odyssey.
The metaphor discusses how Odysseus’ (the main character) return home from war, is like a new day coming to Troy and Ithaca: “But when at last he’d reached his own dear country, / He caught himself more sadly gazing toward / His native land…with tears that choked him” This quote from The Odyssey shows that Odysseus is homesick, but also happier to be back home with his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. A new dawn represents a new beginning for Odysseus after what seemed like an eternity away from his family.
The use of the metaphor is emphasized in The Odyssey because Odysseus had been away from home for twenty years, and The Metaphor of the Dawn was his return back to old happiness he once knew before leaving for Troy. The imagery Homer uses makes The Metaphor of the Dawn come alive through out The Odyssey; Ithaca on a new day becomes bright with happiness.
The first time The Metaphor of the Dawn was described in The Odyssey is when Odysseus first sets foot on land on Phaeacia: “And now, / As dawn rose bright beside him, plucking at his heart / With yearning pleasure…” This quote shows that Odysseus describes how he feels about being on land for the first time in twenty years, and The Metaphor of the Dawn is very important because Odysseus represents The Odyssey. The author uses The Metaphor of the Dawn to emphasize how Odysseus’ return home symbolizes a new morning and a new day. The imagery makes it so that The Metaphor of the Dawn comes alive inside The Odyssey.
The second time The Metaphor of the Dawn was used is when Odysseus wakes up on Calypso’s island: “But now as soon as fair-haired dawn appeared… / He sat down weeping softly…” This quote shows that after Odysseus fell asleep thinking about his wife Penelope, he woke up and thought about The Metaphor of the Dawn, The Odyssey. The Metaphor of the Dawn is important in The Odyssey because Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca becomes a reality, and The Metaphor of the Dawn becomes meaningful when Odysseus sees his homeland again.