The Adventures of
Odysseus
Invocation
Sailing from Troy
Learning Goals:
I can explain what an invocation is.
I can identify the invocation in the opening
of The Odyssey.
I can explain the purpose of the opening
lines.
I can infer the lessons Odysseus and his
men learned based on evidence from the
poem.
Think, Pair, Share…
When you are getting ready
to do something very
important and serious… do
you have any rituals to help
you prepare?
The Invocation
The nine muses were
the daughters of Zeus
and Mnemosyne (the
goddess of memory).
The poet (Homer) is
probably calling upon
Calliope, the muse of
epic poetry, to help
him tell the story of
Odysseus.
Reading the Invocation
Talking to the Text
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Highlight the point where the poet invokes (calls upon)
the muse and label it: “invocation”
Circle the phrases that describe Odysseus. In the margin,
note what does the poet want us to know about Odysseus
from the beginning?
Underline sections that suggest that Odysseus is a hero.
Write your responses on the “Double Entry Journal”
handout.
Box the phrases that characterize Odysseus’ journey.
List the different things he encounters in the margin.
Highlight where the poet describes the fate of Odysseus’
men. In the margin, note who is responsible for this fate.
In Media Res
Jumping “into the
middle of things”
Besides the
invocation, there is no
introduction. The
action immediately
begins.
This is true for most
epic poems.
Sailing from Troy
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Guided Highlighting
In the summary, highlight the portion that describes why
Odysseus is now going to explain how he began his
adventure.
Highlight the epithet in the first line.
In the second stanza, highlight the positive qualities
Odysseus possesses.
In the third stanza, highlight Odysseus’ feelings about
Ithaca.
In the fifth stanza, highlight Odysseus’ command to his
men at Ismarus and how his men behaved.
Also, highlight the result of this conflict at the end of the
stanza.
Now Answer:
Using evidence from the reading, answer the
following questions with complete sentences:
1. What is your first impression of Odysseus?
Which of his qualities do you admire?
2. What mistakes were made on Ismarus and who
made them?
3. What lessons do you think were learned on
Ismarus?
Compare and Contrast
Write what both translations have in common on the left. Write
what is different about each translation on the right.