Dear Mythology Kids,
STOP MISS CLASS!
" Did I miss anything important?"
"No, we did nothing...nothing at all. In fact, we watched
Hercules the entire period!"
If you missed class, visit with someone else prior to communicating with me, my young friends. If you know that you are going to miss class, then please communicate with me prior to your absence.
1. Part 2 of "The Odyssey" exam was given to each student today. This is
due on Friday. I have included it for you below. Please read your instructions, and then let me know if you have any questions. Cut and paste it as a word document, giving yourself ample room to record your answers.
The Odyssey Test
Part 2
Instructions: For each of the following
excerpts from The Odyssey,
please explain what is taking
place. In addition, identify a minimum
of THREE LINES from each excerpt which prove your interpretation. In your explanation, make sure
you fully explain the sections of text that you underlined. You may handwrite
your responses to the right of each excerpt.
1. “…I
thrust our stake in a bed of embers to make it red and hot and rallied all my
comrades: “Courage—no panic, no one hand back now!”
….I
dragged it from the flames, my men clustering around as some god breathed
enormous courage into us. Hoisting high that olive stake with its stabbing pint
straight into the monster eye they bore it hard.”
2.
“Now with a sharp sword I sliced an ample wheel of wax into pieces, kneaded
them in my strong hands and then five it to my comrades.
We
were just off shore as far as a man’s shout will carry, scudding close, then I
heard, “Come closer famous Odysseus-The Achean’s pride and glory-moor your
sip-come closer! Never has a sailor passed our shores without becoming a wiser
man!”
3. “The
loyal shepherd led the way to the shelter, showed his guest inside and sat him
down on a cot. Flinging over it the skin of a shaggy wild goat, broad and soft,
the swine herd’s own good bedding. The king, delighted to be so well received,
thanked the man at once:” My host-may Zeus and the offer gods five you your
heart’s desire for the royal welcome you have shown me.”
4. “A
suitor would glance at his neighbor, jeering, taunting.
“Look
at our connoisseur of bows!”
“Sly
old fox—maybe he’s got bow’s like it, stored in his house.”
“Look
how he twists and turns it in his hands!”
“The
clever tramp means trouble.”
“I
wish him luck in bending back that weapon!”
So
they mocked!
5.”They
rush and push me on, and I spin out my wiles. Athena inspired me to set up this
loom in Odysseus’s royal hall. I shall lead them on”
“Young
man, now that you believe Odysseus is no more go slowly, keen as you are to
take his place, until I can complete Laertes web…so it won’t all fray and come
to nothing.”
6.
“You will find that the rocks lie lower, but they are so close together that
there is not more than a bow—shot between them. A large fig tree full of leaf
grows upon the rock, and under it the sucking whirlpool. Three times a day she
vomits forth her waters, and three times a day she sucks them down again; see
that your be not there when she is sucking, for if you are, Poseidon himself
could not save you! Steer toward the other side, and drive by as fast as you
can, for you had better lose six more than your whole crew.”
“Her
sister is savage, extreme, rude cruel and invincible. There is no help for you
and your men. Your best chance is to pass by her as quickly as you can, for if
you linger about her rocks while you are putting on your armor, she will catch
you with a cast of one of her heads, and snap up another five of your men.”
7.
“He reached his dear dwelling, at last after twenty years. As he did, his old
companion lifted his head and pricked his ears. The moment his master appeared
he knew him, but he had no strength to drag himself even a little toward him.
Odysseus knew him, and brushed away a tear. He dared not go to him for fear of
arousing suspicion, and as he turned away that moment the old companion died.
2. Each student received his/her "Date-line Troy" or Monologue back from the peer evaluator. Please revise your assignment for FRIDAY.
3. "Personal Odyssey" is due on TUESDAY, MARCH 19th. Please see the assignment explanation below. Stop by the room so you can see previous student's examples.
“Ithaca:”
Personalized
Due
Date________________________
Introduction: The purpose of this assignment is to help you see yourself in the “mirror” that mythology hold
up top each of us. Times have changed and so has the pace of your lives; yet,
you are confronted with the same choices today as when Homer decided to put the
story of the wanderings, tribulations, and homecoming of Odysseus into his own
words. I expect you to identify with Odysseus by using his hero's journey as a
paradigm for exploring the meaning of your own lives.
Catalyst: The following poem, “Ithaca,” by Constantine Cavafy is the catalyst for your assignment. Let me
share it with you, prior to explaining your assignment more fully.
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Ithaca
When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.
Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.
Always keep Ithaca
in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca
will offer you riches.
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Ithaca has given you the
beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca
has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.
Constantine
P. Cavafy (1911)
This poem is
about knowing oneself in victory and adversity, and recognizing that the moments
of adversity are merely “stepping stones” to the final destination.....”Ithaca.” The wisdom you obtain with each step reveals the destination's
true meaning.
So, what does
your assignment entail? I am asking you to write your own “Ithaca;” yes, a poem where
you identify your Ithaca, along with the “Poseidons” that thwart your
path, and the “Athenas” that help “bring you home.” I will give you a list of required elements. Let me share a
previous example with you.
The following example
was written by Ryan Bailey, a former student, who graduated in 2000.
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Nimble Fingers
By Ryan Bailey
I am Ryan of the nimble fingers.
Oh Muse, guide and inspire me
to invoke tears like Orpheus.
The ebony and ivory jewels
will inspire friends and foes alike.
This is my Ithaca,
to amuse, mesmerize and
create melodious sounds with my nimble fingers.
Oh Muse, guide me through the
rough seas of
competition. I will place wax
in my ears, never to hear the Siren's song tempting me to doubt
myself. I hear them luring me.
Their deadly sweet voices singing that “I must give up,” that “I must jump to them,” that “my Ithaca is only a dream,” never realized. Their voices must be resisted, or the desire
will perish within me.
Oh, Muse, grant me the power to avoid the temptation of the
Lotus. It comes in the form of fleeting urges that give me dreams of
euphoria; yet, when I awake from the television, video games, and films, I
am reminded that so much time has been lost.
Avoidance of such temptation must occur, or Ithaca will never come to be.
Oh Muse, protect me from the angry Poseidon, who takes
the form of my father. He rears his head in the form of
disappointment. I remind him, that he,
too, once had a father who disapproved of his “Ithaca,”.....to play professional tennis. Athena comes to my aide in the form of
my mother, who reminds me that my Ithaca
is attainable! “Listen,” she says. “Prepare,” she reminds. “Practice,” she rehearses. Always followed with the welcoming arms of a
loved one not seen in many years.
Oh, Muse, grant me the power to never allow
discouragement to defeat my purpose. The voyage is long, full of obstacles,
but I am Ryan, of the nimble fingers, assured, bold, aware, and ready
for the journey.
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REQUIREMENTS (Poem):
1. Your “Ithaca”
must begin with an epithet.
“What
is an epithet, Crampton?”
“Ino,
of the slim ankles”
is an epithet. “Zeus,
the Thunderer”
is an epithet. “Poseidon,
the Earthshaker”
is an epithet. “Athena,
of the gray eyes”
is an epithet. An epithet is a descriptive word or descriptive
phrase.
Your epithet may pertain to an intrinsic characteristic or an
extrinsic characteristic.
2. Your poem needs to be a minimum of four stanzas.
More is acceptable.
3. Your must relate your own obstacles to TWO of those faced
by Odysseus.
4. You must identify your Ithaca in the first stanza.
5. You must identify your “Athenas” (those
that assist you in reaching your “Ithaca.”)
6. You must identify your “Poseidons”
(those that attempt to thwart your goal.)
7. You must reference other Greek characters and connect
them to your subject matter.
8. You must include at least one allusion within the poem.
The allusion can relate to any aspect of your “Ithaca.”
For example, Ryan Bailey uses the allusion, “ebony
and ivory jewels” to indicate the piano keys. He also
alludes to Penelope embracing Odysseus in association to the love received by
his supportive mother.
9. Each of the above requirements must be indicated using BOLD
TYPE in your poem
10. Give your piece an appropriate title based on content.
11. Your poem must be typed, 12-16 point font, submitted in a
fashion that is aesthetically pleasing and illustrates your “Ithaca.” I
will share some previous examples to assist you with this part of the
assignment
Please let me know if I can assist you in any way.
May the power of Athena be with you!
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NOTE: Homework Coupons are due on Tuesday, the 19th! If you have a any missing assignments, please decide which one will benefit you the most and then submit the coupon with the assignment on the 19th.
WE BEGIN WITH NORSE MYTHOLOGY ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13th!
Athena
