LOCK:
Directions: Read the passage on the
left, and then answer the questions or
complete the activities on the right,
1. Why does the poet begin with a prayer?
NUE ODYSSEY:
THE POET
PRAYS
2. Who is "that man" mentioned in Line 2?
Before beginning the story or Odysseus' journey home,
the poet Homer addresses the Muse of epic poetry.
Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story
of that man skilled in all ways of contending,
the wanderer, harried for years on end,
after he plundered the stronghold
on the proud height of Troy.
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3. What characteristics does the poet value?
a. determination, bravery, and loyalty
b. power, impulsivity, and courage
c. skill, pride, and speed
d. hope, valor, and recklessness
4. The poet does NOT value
a. valor
b. vengeance
c. recklessness
d. the Sun God.
5. Define the literary device used in the
bolded section.
saw the town lands
anu learned the minds of many distant men,
and weathered many bitter nights and days
in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only
to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.
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But not by will nor valor could he save them,
for their own recklessness destroyed them all-
children and fools, they killed and feasted on
the cattle of the Sun God Helios,
and he who moves all day through heaven 15
took from their eyes the dawn of their return.
6. Which of the following describes the poet's
tone in the bolded section?
a calm.
b. moody
C. fearsome.
d. suspenseful
Based on the opening section, make a prediction
Muse, help us tell these adventures;
lift the great song again.