The Odyssey: Book 05 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSR CTRDHUNVWXWLYZA2CJLC B2FC2LED2CB2E2B2QF2H G2H2WWI2WJ2K2EFVELVL 2H2RWF2M2WRN2EEEO2B2 P2WWNIEQ2LWBRWQ2RER2 F2S2EHEB2EQTTLBT2EU2 V2ELEWTM2B2LUW2HX2Y2 Q2Z2RQ2Q2EEA3CAEB3LC 3LRWQ2D3AQQE3B2H2EQ2 WEF3Q2N2G3HEQ2B2WWH3 I3M2J3C3Q2K3K2L3L2AQ 2M3CN3O3P3WELLLQ2WEA QQ3R3WACM3ACEB2ELCS3 Q2IR3LCF3EXLL2T3B3C3 WIRU3H2B2R3H3AQHHV3C K3W3LRR3Y2C3EX3L2Y3S 2EZ3F2A4WULERGB4Q2X2 F3Q2C4ED4EHLA4W2CLEK 2CHE4CWF4WQ2B3WES2G4 W2H4QA4R3I4EQLG3J4LK 4L4ELERB3CV2IW2CHCH2 H2LLBWM4W2K2B2L2CRQE R3B2CX2AQN4M2QRERN4R S2CH2ELV2RRQ2QRO4ARC EQQ2RLRRQ2RH2EERRLR3 QRBEE| And now as Dawn rose from her couch beside Tithonus harbinger of | A |
| light alike to mortals and immortals the gods met in council and with | B |
| them Jove the lord of thunder who is their king Thereon Minerva | C |
| began to tell them of the many sufferings of Ulysses for she pitied | D |
| him away there in the house of the nymph Calypso | E |
| Father Jove said she and all you other gods that live in | F |
| everlasting bliss I hope there may never be such a thing as a kind | G |
| and well disposed ruler any more nor one who will govern equitably I | H |
| hope they will be all henceforth cruel and unjust for there is not | I |
| one of his subjects but has forgotten Ulysses who ruled them as | J |
| though he were their father There he is lying in great pain in an | K |
| island where dwells the nymph Calypso who will not let him go and he | L |
| cannot get back to his own country for he can find neither ships | M |
| nor sailors to take him over the sea Furthermore wicked people are | N |
| now trying to murder his only son Telemachus who is coming home | O |
| from Pylos and Lacedaemon where he has been to see if he can get news | P |
| of his father | Q |
| What my dear are you talking about replied her father did you | R |
| not send him there yourself because you thought it would help Ulysses | S |
| to get home and punish the suitors Besides you are perfectly able to | R |
| protect Telemachus and to see him safely home again while the | C |
| suitors have to come hurry skurrying back without having killed him | T |
| When he had thus spoken he said to his son Mercury Mercury you | R |
| are our messenger go therefore and tell Calypso we have decreed | D |
| that poor Ulysses is to return home He is to be convoyed neither by | H |
| gods nor men but after a perilous voyage of twenty days upon a raft | U |
| he is to reach fertile Scheria the land of the Phaeacians who are | N |
| near of kin to the gods and will honour him as though he were one | V |
| of ourselves They will send him in a ship to his own country and | W |
| will give him more bronze and gold and raiment than he would have | X |
| brought back from Troy if he had had had all his prize money and | W |
| had got home without disaster This is how we have settled that he | L |
| shall return to his country and his friends | Y |
| Thus he spoke and Mercury guide and guardian slayer of Argus did | Z |
| as he was told Forthwith he bound on his glittering golden sandals | A2 |
| with which he could fly like the wind over land and sea He took the | C |
| wand with which he seals men's eyes in sleep or wakes them just as | J |
| he pleases and flew holding it in his hand over Pieria then he | L |
| swooped down through the firmament till he reached the level of the | C |
| sea whose waves he skimmed like a cormorant that flies fishing | B2 |
| every hole and corner of the ocean and drenching its thick plumage in | F |
| the spray He flew and flew over many a weary wave but when at last | C2 |
| he got to the island which was his journey's end he left the sea | L |
| and went on by land till he came to the cave where the nymph Calypso | E |
| lived | D2 |
| He found her at home There was a large fire burning on the | C |
| hearth and one could smell from far the fragrant reek of burning | B2 |
| cedar and sandal wood As for herself she was busy at her loom | E2 |
| shooting her golden shuttle through the warp and singing | B2 |
| beautifully Round her cave there was a thick wood of alder poplar | Q |
| and sweet smelling cypress trees wherein all kinds of great birds had | F2 |
| built their nests owls hawks and chattering sea crows that occupy | H |
| their business in the waters A vine loaded with grapes was trained | G2 |
| and grew luxuriantly about the mouth of the cave there were also four | H2 |
| running rills of water in channels cut pretty close together and | W |
| turned hither and thither so as to irrigate the beds of violets and | W |
| luscious herbage over which they flowed Even a god could not help | I2 |
| being charmed with such a lovely spot so Mercury stood still and | W |
| looked at it but when he had admired it sufficiently he went inside | J2 |
| the cave | K2 |
| Calypso knew him at once for the gods all know each other no | E |
| matter how far they live from one another but Ulysses was not within | F |
| he was on the sea shore as usual looking out upon the barren ocean | V |
| with tears in his eyes groaning and breaking his heart for sorrow | E |
| Calypso gave Mercury a seat and said Why have you come to see me | L |
| Mercury honoured and ever welcome for you do not visit me often | V |
| Say what you want I will do it for be you at once if I can and if it | L2 |
| can be done at all but come inside and let me set refreshment before | H2 |
| you | R |
| As she spoke she drew a table loaded with ambrosia beside him and | W |
| mixed him some red nectar so Mercury ate and drank till he had had | F2 |
| enough and then said | M2 |
| We are speaking god and goddess to one another one another and | W |
| you ask me why I have come here and I will tell you truly as you | R |
| would have me do Jove sent me it was no doing of mine who could | N2 |
| possibly want to come all this way over the sea where there are no | E |
| cities full of people to offer me sacrifices or choice hecatombs | E |
| Nevertheless I had to come for none of us other gods can cross | E |
| Jove nor transgress his orders He says that you have here the most | O2 |
| ill starred of alf those who fought nine years before the city of King | B2 |
| Priam and sailed home in the tenth year after having sacked it On | P2 |
| their way home they sinned against Minerva who raised both wind and | W |
| waves against them so that all his brave companions perished and | W |
| he alone was carried hither by wind and tide Jove says that you are | N |
| to let this by man go at once for it is decreed that he shall not | I |
| perish here far from his own people but shall return to his house | E |
| and country and see his friends again | Q2 |
| Calypso trembled with rage when she heard this You gods she | L |
| exclaimed to be ashamed of yourselves You are always jealous and | W |
| hate seeing a goddess take a fancy to a mortal man and live with | B |
| him in open matrimony So when rosy fingered Dawn made love to | R |
| Orion you precious gods were all of you furious till Diana went and | W |
| killed him in Ortygia So again when Ceres fell in love with Iasion | Q2 |
| and yielded to him in a thrice ploughed fallow field Jove came to | R |
| hear of it before so long and killed Iasion with his thunder bolts | E |
| And now you are angry with me too because I have a man here I found | R2 |
| the poor creature sitting all alone astride of a keel for Jove had | F2 |
| struck his ship with lightning and sunk it in mid ocean so that all | S2 |
| his crew were drowned while he himself was driven by wind and waves | E |
| on to my island I got fond of him and cherished him and had set my | H |
| heart on making him immortal so that he should never grow old all his | E |
| days still I cannot cross Jove nor bring his counsels to nothing | B2 |
| therefore if he insists upon it let the man go beyond the seas | E |
| again but I cannot send him anywhere myself for I have neither | Q |
| ships nor men who can take him Nevertheless I will readily give him | T |
| such advice in all good faith as will be likely to bring him | T |
| safely to his own country | L |
| Then send him away said Mercury or Jove will be angry with | B |
| you and punish you ' | T2 |
| On this he took his leave and Calypso went out to look for Ulysses | E |
| for she had heard Jove's message She found him sitting upon the beach | U2 |
| with his eyes ever filled with tears and dying of sheer | V2 |
| home sickness for he had got tired of Calypso and though he was | E |
| forced to sleep with her in the cave by night it was she not he | L |
| that would have it so As for the day time he spent it on the rocks | E |
| and on the sea shore weeping crying aloud for his despair and | W |
| always looking out upon the sea Calypso then went close up to him | T |
| said | M2 |
| My poor fellow you shall not stay here grieving and fretting | B2 |
| your life out any longer I am going to send you away of my own free | L |
| will so go cut some beams of wood and make yourself a large raft | U |
| with an upper deck that it may carry you safely over the sea I will | W2 |
| put bread wine and water on board to save you from starving I | H |
| will also give you clothes and will send you a fair wind to take | X2 |
| you home if the gods in heaven so will it for they know more about | Y2 |
| these things and can settle them better than I can | Q2 |
| Ulysses shuddered as he heard her Now goddess he answered | Z2 |
| there is something behind all this you cannot be really meaning to | R |
| help me home when you bid me do such a dreadful thing as put to sea on | Q2 |
| a raft Not even a well found ship with a fair wind could venture on | Q2 |
| such a distant voyage nothing that you can say or do shall mage me go | E |
| on board a raft unless you first solemnly swear that you mean me no | E |
| mischief | A3 |
| Calypso smiled at this and caressed him with her hand You know a | C |
| great deal said she but you are quite wrong here May heaven above | A |
| and earth below be my witnesses with the waters of the river Styx | E |
| and this is the most solemn oath which a blessed god can take that | B3 |
| I mean you no sort of harm and am only advising you to do exactly | L |
| what I should do myself in your place I am dealing with you quite | C3 |
| straightforwardly my heart is not made of iron and I am very sorry | L |
| for you | R |
| When she had thus spoken she led the way rapidly before him and | W |
| Ulysses followed in her steps so the pair goddess and man went on | Q2 |
| and on till they came to Calypso's cave where Ulysses took the seat | D3 |
| that Mercury had just left Calypso set meat and drink before him of | A |
| the food that mortals eat but her maids brought ambrosia and nectar | Q |
| for herself and they laid their hands on the good things that were | Q |
| before them When they had satisfied themselves with meat and drink | E3 |
| Calypso spoke saying | B2 |
| Ulysses noble son of Laertes so you would start home to your | H2 |
| own land at once Good luck go with you but if you could only know | E |
| how much suffering is in store for you before you get back to your own | Q2 |
| country you would stay where you are keep house along with me and | W |
| let me make you immortal no matter how anxious you may be to see this | E |
| wife of yours of whom you are thinking all the time day after day | F3 |
| yet I flatter myself that at am no whit less tall or well looking than | Q2 |
| she is for it is not to be expected that a mortal woman should | N2 |
| compare in beauty with an immortal | G3 |
| Goddess replied Ulysses do not be angry with me about this I | H |
| am quite aware that my wife Penelope is nothing like so tall or so | E |
| beautiful as yourself She is only a woman whereas you are an | Q2 |
| immortal Nevertheless I want to get home and can think of nothing | B2 |
| else If some god wrecks me when I am on the sea I will bear it and | W |
| make the best of it I have had infinite trouble both by land and | W |
| sea already so let this go with the rest | H3 |
| Presently the sun set and it became dark whereon the pair retired | I3 |
| into the inner part of the cave and went to bed | M2 |
| When the child of morning rosy fingered Dawn appeared Ulysses put | J3 |
| on his shirt and cloak while the goddess wore a dress of a light | C3 |
| gossamer fabric very fine and graceful with a beautiful golden | Q2 |
| girdle about her waist and a veil to cover her head She at once set | K3 |
| herself to think how she could speed Ulysses on his way So she gave | K2 |
| him a great bronze axe that suited his hands it was sharpened on both | L3 |
| sides and had a beautiful olive wood handle fitted firmly on to it | L2 |
| She also gave him a sharp adze and then led the way to the far end of | A |
| the island where the largest trees grew alder poplar and pine | Q2 |
| that reached the sky very dry and well seasoned so as to sail | M3 |
| light for him in the water Then when she had shown him where the | C |
| best trees grew Calypso went home leaving him to cut them which | N3 |
| he soon finished doing He cut down twenty trees in all and adzed them | O3 |
| smooth squaring them by rule in good workmanlike fashion Meanwhile | P3 |
| Calypso came back with some augers so he bored holes with them and | W |
| fitted the timbers together with bolts and rivets He made the raft as | E |
| broad as a skilled shipwright makes the beam of a large vessel and he | L |
| filed a deck on top of the ribs and ran a gunwale all round it He | L |
| also made a mast with a yard arm and a rudder to steer with He | L |
| fenced the raft all round with wicker hurdles as a protection | Q2 |
| against the waves and then he threw on a quantity of wood By and | W |
| by Calypso brought him some linen to make the sails and he made these | E |
| too excellently making them fast with braces and sheets Last of | A |
| all with the help of levers he drew the raft down into the water | Q |
| In four days he had completed the whole work and on the fifth | Q3 |
| Calypso sent him from the island after washing him and giving him some | R3 |
| clean clothes She gave him a goat skin full of black wine and | W |
| another larger one of water she also gave him a wallet full of | A |
| provisions and found him in much good meat Moreover she made the | C |
| wind fair and warm for him and gladly did Ulysses spread his sail | M3 |
| before it while he sat and guided the raft skilfully by means of | A |
| the rudder He never closed his eyes but kept them fixed on the | C |
| Pleiads on late setting Bootes and on the Bear which men also | E |
| call the wain and which turns round and round where it is facing | B2 |
| Orion and alone never dipping into the stream of Oceanus for Calypso | E |
| had told him to keep this to his left Days seven and ten did he | L |
| sail over the sea and on the eighteenth the dim outlines of the | C |
| mountains on the nearest part of the Phaeacian coast appeared | S3 |
| rising like a shield on the horizon | Q2 |
| But King Neptune who was returning from the Ethiopians caught | I |
| sight of Ulysses a long way off from the mountains of the Solymi | R3 |
| He could see him sailing upon the sea and it made him very angry | L |
| so he wagged his head and muttered to himself saying heavens so the | C |
| gods have been changing their minds about Ulysses while I was away | F3 |
| in Ethiopia and now he is close to the land of the Phaeacians | E |
| where it is decreed that he shall escape from the calamities that have | X |
| befallen him Still he shall have plenty of hardship yet before he | L |
| has done with it | L2 |
| Thereon he gathered his clouds together grasped his trident | T3 |
| stirred it round in the sea and roused the rage of every wind that | B3 |
| blows till earth sea and sky were hidden in cloud and night | C3 |
| sprang forth out of the heavens Winds from East South North and | W |
| West fell upon him all at the same time and a tremendous sea got | I |
| up so that Ulysses' heart began to fail him Alas he said to | R |
| himself in his dismay what ever will become of me I am afraid | U3 |
| Calypso was right when she said I should have trouble by sea before | H2 |
| I got back home It is all coming true How black is Jove making | B2 |
| heaven with his clouds and what a sea the winds are raising from | R3 |
| every quarter at once I am now safe to perish Blest and thrice blest | H3 |
| were those Danaans who fell before Troy in the cause of the sons of | A |
| Atreus Would that had been killed on the day when the Trojans were | Q |
| pressing me so sorely about the dead body of Achilles for then I | H |
| should have had due burial and the Achaeans would have honoured my | H |
| name but now it seems that I shall come to a most pitiable end | V3 |
| As he spoke a sea broke over him with such terrific fury that the | C |
| raft reeled again and he was carried overboard a long way off He let | K3 |
| go the helm and the force of the hurricane was so great that it broke | W3 |
| the mast half way up and both sail and yard went over into the sea | L |
| For a long time Ulysses was under water and it was all he could do to | R |
| rise to the surface again for the clothes Calypso had given him | R3 |
| weighed him down but at last he got his head above water and spat out | Y2 |
| the bitter brine that was running down his face in streams In spite | C3 |
| of all this however he did not lose sight of his raft but swam as | E |
| fast as he could towards it got hold of it and climbed on board | X3 |
| again so as to escape drowning The sea took the raft and tossed it | L2 |
| about as Autumn winds whirl thistledown round and round upon a road | Y3 |
| It was as though the South North East and West winds were all | S2 |
| playing battledore and shuttlecock with it at once | E |
| When he was in this plight Ino daughter of Cadmus also called | Z3 |
| Leucothea saw him She had formerly been a mere mortal but had | F2 |
| been since raised to the rank of a marine goddess Seeing in what | A4 |
| great distress Ulysses now was she had compassion upon him and | W |
| rising like a sea gull from the waves took her seat upon the raft | U |
| My poor good man said she why is Neptune so furiously angry | L |
| with you He is giving you a great deal of trouble but for all his | E |
| bluster he will not kill you You seem to be a sensible person do | R |
| then as I bid you strip leave your raft to drive before the wind | G |
| and swim to the Phaecian coast where better luck awaits you And here | B4 |
| take my veil and put it round your chest it is enchanted and you can | Q2 |
| come to no harm so long as you wear it As soon as you touch land take | X2 |
| it off throw it back as far as you can into the sea and then go away | F3 |
| again With these words she took off her veil and gave it him Then | Q2 |
| she dived down again like a sea gull and vanished beneath the dark | C4 |
| blue waters | E |
| But Ulysses did not know what to think Alas he said to himself | D4 |
| in his dismay this is only some one or other of the gods who is | E |
| luring me to ruin by advising me to will quit my raft At any rate I | H |
| will not do so at present for the land where she said I should be | L |
| quit of all troubles seemed to be still a good way off I know what | A4 |
| I will do I am sure it will be best no matter what happens I will | W2 |
| stick to the raft as long as her timbers hold together but when the | C |
| sea breaks her up I will swim for it I do not see how I can do any | L |
| better than this | E |
| While he was thus in two minds Neptune sent a terrible great wave | K2 |
| that seemed to rear itself above his head till it broke right over the | C |
| raft which then went to pieces as though it were a heap of dry | H |
| chaff tossed about by a whirlwind Ulysses got astride of one plank | E4 |
| and rode upon it as if he were on horseback he then took off the | C |
| clothes Calypso had given him bound Ino's veil under his arms and | W |
| plunged into the sea meaning to swim on shore King Neptune watched | F4 |
| him as he did so and wagged his head muttering to himself and | W |
| saying 'There now swim up and down as you best can till you fall in | Q2 |
| with well to do people I do not think you will be able to say that | B3 |
| I have let you off too lightly On this he lashed his horses and | W |
| drove to Aegae where his palace is | E |
| But Minerva resolved to help Ulysses so she bound the ways of all | S2 |
| the winds except one and made them lie quite still but she roused | G4 |
| a good stiff breeze from the North that should lay the waters till | W2 |
| Ulysses reached the land of the Phaeacians where he would be safe | H4 |
| Thereon he floated about for two nights and two days in the water | Q |
| with a heavy swell on the sea and death staring him in the face but | A4 |
| when the third day broke the wind fell and there was a dead calm | R3 |
| without so much as a breath of air stirring As he rose on the swell | I4 |
| he looked eagerly ahead and could see land quite near Then as | E |
| children rejoice when their dear father begins to get better after | Q |
| having for a long time borne sore affliction sent him by some angry | L |
| spirit but the gods deliver him from evil so was Ulysses thankful | G3 |
| when he again saw land and trees and swam on with all his strength | J4 |
| that he might once more set foot upon dry ground When however he | L |
| got within earshot he began to hear the surf thundering up against | K4 |
| the rocks for the swell still broke against them with a terrific | L4 |
| roar Everything was enveloped in spray there were no harbours | E |
| where a ship might ride nor shelter of any kind but only | L |
| headlands low lying rocks and mountain tops | E |
| Ulysses' heart now began to fail him and he said despairingly to | R |
| himself Alas Jove has let me see land after swimming so far that | B3 |
| I had given up all hope but I can find no landing place for the | C |
| coast is rocky and surf beaten the rocks are smooth and rise sheer | V2 |
| from the sea with deep water close under them so that I cannot | I |
| climb out for want of foothold I am afraid some great wave will | W2 |
| lift me off my legs and dash me against the rocks as I leave the | C |
| water which would give me a sorry landing If on the other hand I | H |
| swim further in search of some shelving beach or harbour a | C |
| hurricane may carry me out to sea again sorely against my will or | H2 |
| heaven may send some great monster of the deep to attack me for | H2 |
| Amphitrite breeds many such and I know that Neptune is very angry | L |
| with me | L |
| While he was thus in two minds a wave caught him and took him with | B |
| such force against the rocks that he would have been smashed and | W |
| torn to pieces if Minerva had not shown him what to do He caught hold | M4 |
| of the rock with both hands and clung to it groaning with pain till | W2 |
| the wave retired so he was saved that time but presently the wave | K2 |
| came on again and carried him back with it far into the sea tearing | B2 |
| his hands as the suckers of a polypus are torn when some one plucks it | L2 |
| from its bed and the stones come up along with it even so did the | C |
| rocks tear the skin from his strong hands and then the wave drew | R |
| him deep down under the water | Q |
| Here poor Ulysses would have certainly perished even in spite of his | E |
| own destiny if Minerva had not helped him to keep his wits about him | R3 |
| He swam seaward again beyond reach of the surf that was beating | B2 |
| against the land and at the same time he kept looking towards the | C |
| shore to see if he could find some haven or a spit that should take | X2 |
| the waves aslant By and by as he swam on he came to the mouth of | A |
| a river and here he thought would be the best place for there were | Q |
| no rocks and it afforded shelter from the wind He felt that there | N4 |
| was a current so he prayed inwardly and said | M2 |
| Hear me O King whoever you may be and save me from the anger | Q |
| of the sea god Neptune for I approach you prayerfully Any one who | R |
| has lost his way has at all times a claim even upon the gods | E |
| wherefore in my distress I draw near to your stream and cling to | R |
| the knees of your riverhood Have mercy upon me O king for I declare | N4 |
| myself your suppliant | R |
| Then the god stayed his stream and stilled the waves making all | S2 |
| calm before him and bringing him safely into the mouth of the | C |
| river Here at last Ulysses' knees and strong hands failed him for | H2 |
| the sea had completely broken him His body was all swollen and his | E |
| mouth and nostrils ran down like a river with sea water so that he | L |
| could neither breathe nor speak and lay swooning from sheer | V2 |
| exhaustion presently when he had got his breath and came to | R |
| himself again he took off the scarf that Ino had given him and | R |
| threw it back into the salt stream of the river whereon Ino | Q2 |
| received it into her hands from the wave that bore it towards her | Q |
| Then he left the river laid himself down among the rushes and kissed | R |
| the bounteous earth | O4 |
| Alas he cried to himself in his dismay what ever will become of | A |
| me and how is it all to end If I stay here upon the river bed | R |
| through the long watches of the night I am so exhausted that the | C |
| bitter cold and damp may make an end of me for towards sunrise | E |
| there will be a keen wind blowing from off the river If on the other | Q |
| hand I climb the hill side find shelter in the woods and sleep in | Q2 |
| some thicket I may escape the cold and have a good night's rest | R |
| but some savage beast may take advantage of me and devour me | L |
| In the end he deemed it best to take to the woods and he found | R |
| one upon some high ground not far from the water There he crept | R |
| beneath two shoots of olive that grew from a single stock the one | Q2 |
| an ungrafted sucker while the other had been grafted No wind | R |
| however squally could break through the cover they afforded nor | H2 |
| could the sun's rays pierce them nor the rain get through them so | E |
| closely did they grow into one another Ulysses crept under these | E |
| and began to make himself a bed to lie on for there was a great | R |
| litter of dead leaves lying about enough to make a covering for two | R |
| or three men even in hard winter weather He was glad enough to see | L |
| this so he laid himself down and heaped the leaves all round him | R3 |
| Then as one who lives alone in the country far from any neighbor | Q |
| hides a brand as fire seed in the ashes to save himself from having to | R |
| get a light elsewhere even so did Ulysses cover himself up with | B |
| leaves and Minerva shed a sweet sleep upon his eyes closed his | E |
| eyelids and made him lose all memories of his sorrows | E |
Homer
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