Epic Similes in The Odyssey
You be analyzing one of the following similes and how it relates to a major theme in The Odyssey. Some
major themes from the story are: Hospitality, Loyalty, Perseverance, Vengeance, personal growth,
Fate, Pride, Family, honor, sacrifice, leadership.
Directions: There are five epic similes printed below. Select ONE. Turn to the back of this sheet and
complete all the steps about that ONE epic simile. You may ignore all the other epic similes besides the
ONE you have selected.
1. 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 fruit and barley, fruit trees laden bright, new lambs at
Lambing time- and the deep sea gives you halls of fish by his good
Strategy, so that his folk fare well.
2. Just as an angler poised on a jutting rock
flings his treacherous bait in the offshore swell,
whips his long rod—hook sheathed in an oxhorn lure—
and whisks up little fish he flips on the beach-break,
writhing, gasping out their lives. . . so now they writhed,
gasping as Scylla swung them up her cliff and there
at her cavern’s mouth she bolted them down raw.
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3. Salt tears rose from the wells of longing in both men, and cries
Burst forth from both as keen and fluttering as those of the great taloned
Hawk, whose nestlings farmers take away before they fly. So helplessly
They cried, pouring out tears…
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4. Think of a catch that fisherman haul in to half moon bay in a fine meshed net
from the whitecaps of the sea: how all are poured out on the sand,
in throes for the salt sea twitching their cold lives away in Helios’ fiery air:
so lay the suitors heaped on one another.
5. Then, like an expert singer skilled at lyre and song—
who strains a string to a new peg with ease,
making the pliant sheep-gut fast at either end—
so with his virtuosos ease Odysseus strung his mighty bow.
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Level 1: Identify the context for the epic simile.
(In other words, what is happening in the story when this epic simile appears?)
Level 2: Paraphrase the epic simile.
(In other words, re-state the comparison made in the epic simile; what are the lines saying?)
Level 3: Identify the major theme associated with the epic simile of your choice.
(themes are listed in the instructions above)
Level 4: Write an explanation of how the theme relates to the character or situation in the simile.
Level 5: Write a thematic statement that explains the author’s message to the reader about the theme topic.
(formula: theme topic + strong verb + author’s message to the reader about the topic)
Level 6: Rewrite your thematic statement using vivid imagery.
Theme statement rules:
 NO LINKING VERBS
NO CHARACTER NAMES
 MUST BE IN 3RD PERSON
 ONLY ONE SENTENCE
EXAMPLE THEMATIC STATEMENTS:
 Self-Sacrifice exemplifies an ultimate love for others; by removing focus on oneself, one can focus on serving others.
 Unconditional love withstands any obstacle.
 Hope enables a person to survive any dark time.
 Jealousy diminishes relationships and causes lasting damage to individuals.