Literary Terms
Background
Plot
Hero's Journey
Literary Devices "Quotes"
100
a long poem that tells a story
Epic Poem
100
Who is the author of The Odyssey?
Homer
100
What happened in the land of the Lotus Eater?
The men who ate the lotus wanted to stay forever.
100
Call to Adventure
The point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not.
100
"rosy-fingered dawn"
Personification
200
Bard
Masterful storytellers of Ancient Greece that would sing or recite long narrative poems about the gods, goddesses, and heroes of days gone by.
200
How many years did Odysseus fight in the Trogan War?
10 years
200
What does Polyphemus do when he finds Odysseus and his men in the cave?
He eats them
200
Refusal of the call
Often when the call is given, the hero refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances
200
"Divine Calypso"
epithet
300
Archetype
A symbol or character which reoccurs in literature to be recognizable as an element of literature.
300
Who was Homer?
We don't know. We don't even know if his name was really Homer. This is known as the Homeric problem.
300
Why does Odysseus travel to the land of the dead?
To seek advice from the prophet Tiresias.
300
Supernatural Aid
Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known.
300
"Joy, warm as the joy that shipwrecked sailors feel / when they catch sight of land."
epic simile
400
Epithet
brief descriptive phrases that emphasize an important characteristic of a person or thing.
400
What is the name of the epic poem that is the prequel to The Odyssey?
The Illiad
400
Why do all of Odysseus's men dies?
They eat the cows of the sun god
400
Road of Trials
The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes.
400
Zeus, son of Cronos
Patronymic
500
describes a name derived from a male ancestor's name, (calling son by father's name) ex: “Laertes' son"
Patronymics
500
How was Odysseus convinced to fight in the war?
At Helen's wedding he swore to protect her marriage. However, he did not want to fight. He pretended to be insane until Agamemnon put Telemachus in danger. Then he had to admit that he was sane.
500
How does Penelope stall the suitors?
She weaves and unweaves a shroud for Laertes.
500
Master of Two Worlds
For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds.
500
Your name has gone out under heaven like the sweet honor of some god-fearing king, who rules in equity over the strong: his black lands bear both wheat and barley, fruit trees laden bright, new lambs at lambing time—and the deep sea gives great hauls of fish by his good strategy, so that the folk fare well.
Epic Simile
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