The Odyssey: Book 14 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFFBGHIJKLLMNCOP ELQARKSCATUVWCLAXYCZ A2B2C2BD2E2F2G2GH2I2 CUJ2F2K2L2CZH2BLIH2M 2N2KCGLH2H2O2P2Q2LR2 TG2MBEH2S2H2TT2G2J2F U2V2BH2H2H2U2CAW2H2H 2TCFH2X2OTCZH2MMX2FB H2L2BBJ2BCJ2J2X2TJ2Y 2Z2V2D2A3H2BYMB3A2A3 C3D3CGV2E3AF2A3J2I2M U2J2MABEBTMH2KH2F3MZ CG3EF3LO2OLH2H3H2I3L ZF2MH2MMH2J3CLFH2CK3 D2L2L3J2LMM3LMMN3COC O3J2W2J2F2A2MMCP3Q3R 3U2H2H2F2S3ML2CY2YCY YMH2Y2YU2T3MQ3J2ZH2M ZMMMZYU3TMMZH2YYCMYH 2YYMCH2G2MMMTG2MYYV3 J2YYH2TYMH2MMYH2H2YZ J2W3MU2YMZZX3TYUN3MM MMMH2ZYYD2MY2YYY3N3M MCH2CMYYYG2YYCZZZ3MY MTYCA4YYH2YU2ZYU2MZY YCMZYMH2ZUH2U2YYYZMG 2YMB4YYMZMMMUJ2C4CZM MU3YC4YYYH2YH2MMCU2Y MMD2YMMMMYMYYH2MMH2M MY

Ulysses now left the haven and took the rough track up throughA
the wooded country and over the crest of the mountain till heB
reached the place where Minerva had said that he would find theC
swineherd who was the most thrifty servant he had He found himD
sitting in front of his hut which was by the yards that he hadE
built on a site which could be seen from far He had made themF
spacious and fair to see with a free ran for the pigs all round themF
he had built them during his master's absence of stones which heB
had gathered out of the ground without saying anything to Penelope orG
Laertes and he had fenced them on top with thorn bushes OutsideH
the yard he had run a strong fence of oaken posts split and setI
pretty close together while inside lie had built twelve sties nearJ
one another for the sows to lie in There were fifty pigs wallowing inK
each sty all of them breeding sows but the boars slept outside andL
were much fewer in number for the suitors kept on eating them andL
die swineherd had to send them the best he had continually There wereM
three hundred and sixty boar pigs and the herdsman's four houndsN
which were as fierce as wolves slept always with them TheC
swineherd was at that moment cutting out a pair of sandals from a goodO
stout ox hide Three of his men were out herding the pigs in one placeP
or another and he had sent the fourth to town with a boar that he hadE
been forced to send the suitors that they might sacrifice it andL
have their fill of meatQ
When the hounds saw Ulysses they set up a furious barking and flewA
at him but Ulysses was cunning enough to sit down and loose hisR
hold of the stick that he had in his hand still he would have beenK
torn by them in his own homestead had not the swineherd dropped his oxS
hide rushed full speed through the gate of the yard and driven theC
dogs off by shouting and throwing stones at them Then he said toA
Ulysses Old man the dogs were likely to have made short work ofT
you and then you would have got me into trouble The gods haveU
given me quite enough worries without that for I have lost the bestV
of masters and am in continual grief on his account I have to attendW
swine for other people to eat while he if he yet lives to see theC
light of day is starving in some distant land But come inside andL
when you have had your fill of bread and wine tell me where youA
come from and all about your misfortunesX
On this the swineherd led the way into the hut and bade him sitY
down He strewed a good thick bed of rushes upon the floor and on theC
top of this he threw the shaggy chamois skin a great thick one onZ
which he used to sleep by night Ulysses was pleased at being madeA2
thus welcome and said May Jove sir and the rest of the godsB2
grant you your heart's desire in return for the kind way in whichC2
you have received meB
To this you answered O swineherd Eumaeus Stranger though a stillD2
poorer man should come here it would not be right for me to insultE2
him for all strangers and beggars are from Jove You must take whatF2
you can get and be thankful for servants live in fear when theyG2
have young lords for their masters and this is my misfortune now forG
heaven has hindered the return of him who would have been alwaysH2
good to me and given me something of my own a house a piece of landI2
a good looking wife and all else that a liberal master allows aC
servant who has worked hard for him and whose labour the gods haveU
prospered as they have mine in the situation which I hold If myJ2
master had grown old here he would have done great things by me butF2
he is gone and I wish that Helen's whole race were utterly destroyedK2
for she has been the death of many a good man It was this matter thatL2
took my master to Ilius the land of noble steeds to fight theC
Trojans in the cause of kin AgamemnonZ
As he spoke he bound his girdle round him and went to the stiesH2
where the young sucking pigs were penned He picked out two which heB
brought back with him and sacrificed He singed them cut them up andL
spitted on them when the meat was cooked he brought it all in and setI
it before Ulysses hot and still on the spit whereon UlyssesH2
sprinkled it over with white barley meal The swineherd then mixedM2
wine in a bowl of ivy wood and taking a seat opposite Ulysses toldN2
him to beginK
Fall to stranger said he on a dish of servant's pork TheC
fat pigs have to go to the suitors who eat them up without shame orG
scruple but the blessed gods love not such shameful doings andL
respect those who do what is lawful and right Even the fierceH2
free booters who go raiding on other people's land and Jove givesH2
them their spoil even they when they have filled their ships and gotO2
home again live conscience stricken and look fearfully for judgementP2
but some god seems to have told these people that Ulysses is deadQ2
and gone they will not therefore go back to their own homes andL
make their offers of marriage in the usual way but waste his estateR2
by force without fear or stint Not a day or night comes out ofT
heaven but they sacrifice not one victim nor two only and theyG2
take the run of his wine for he was exceedingly rich No otherM
great man either in Ithaca or on the mainland is as rich as he was heB
had as much as twenty men put together I will tell you what he hadE
There are twelve herds of cattle upon the mainland and as many flocksH2
of sheep there are also twelve droves of pigs while his own menS2
and hired strangers feed him twelve widely spreading herds of goatsH2
Here in Ithaca he runs even large flocks of goats on the far end ofT
the island and they are in the charge of excellent goatherds EachT2
one of these sends the suitors the best goat in the flock every dayG2
As for myself I am in charge of the pigs that you see here and IJ2
have to keep picking out the best I have and sending it to themF
This was his story but Ulysses went on eating and drinkingU2
ravenously without a word brooding his revenge When he had eatenV2
enough and was satisfied the swineherd took the bowl from which heB
usually drank filled it with wine and gave it to Ulysses who wasH2
pleased and said as he took it in his hands My friend who was thisH2
master of yours that bought you and paid for you so rich and soH2
powerful as you tell me You say he perished in the cause of KingU2
Agamemnon tell me who he was in case I may have met with such aC
person Jove and the other gods know but I may be able to give youA
news of him for I have travelled muchW2
Eumaeus answered Old man no traveller who comes here with newsH2
will get Ulysses' wife and son to believe his story NeverthelessH2
tramps in want of a lodging keep coming with their mouths full ofT
lies and not a word of truth every one who finds his way to IthacaC
goes to my mistress and tells her falsehoods whereon she takes themF
in makes much of them and asks them all manner of questionsH2
crying all the time as women will when they have lost theirX2
husbands And you too old man for a shirt and a cloak wouldO
doubtless make up a very pretty story But the wolves and birds ofT
prey have long since torn Ulysses to pieces or the fishes of theC
sea have eaten him and his bones are lying buried deep in sand uponZ
some foreign shore he is dead and gone and a bad business it isH2
for all his friends for me especially go where I may I shall neverM
find so good a master not even if I were to go home to my motherM
and father where I was bred and born I do not so much careX2
however about my parents now though I should dearly like to see themF
again in my own country it is the loss of Ulysses that grieves meB
most I cannot speak of him without reverence though he is here noH2
longer for he was very fond of me and took such care of me thatL2
whereever he may be I shall always honour his memoryB
My friend replied Ulysses you are very positive and veryB
hard of belief about your master's coming home again nevertheless IJ2
will not merely say but will swear that he is coming Do not give meB
anything for my news till he has actually come you may then give me aC
shirt and cloak of good wear if you will I am in great want but IJ2
will not take anything at all till then for I hate a man even as IJ2
hate hell fire who lets his poverty tempt him into lying I swearX2
by king Jove by the rites of hospitality and by that hearth ofT
Ulysses to which I have now come that all will surely happen as IJ2
have said it will Ulysses will return in this self same year withY2
the end of this moon and the beginning of the next he will be hereZ2
to do vengeance on all those who are ill treating his wife and sonV2
To this you answered O swineherd Eumaeus Old man you willD2
neither get paid for bringing good news nor will Ulysses ever comeA3
home drink you wine in peace and let us talk about something elseH2
Do not keep on reminding me of all this it always pains me when anyB
one speaks about my honoured master As for your oath we will let itY
alone but I only wish he may come as do Penelope his old fatherM
Laertes and his son Telemachus I am terribly unhappy too aboutB3
this same boy of his he was running up fast into manhood and badeA2
fare to be no worse man face and figure than his father but someA3
one either god or man has been unsettling his mind so he has goneC3
off to Pylos to try and get news of his father and the suitors areD3
lying in wait for him as he is coming home in the hope of leaving theC
house of Arceisius without a name in Ithaca But let us say no moreG
about him and leave him to be taken or else to escape if the sonV2
of Saturn holds his hand over him to protect him And now old manE3
tell me your own story tell me also for I want to know who youA
are and where you come from Tell me of your town and parents whatF2
manner of ship you came in how crew brought you to Ithaca and fromA3
what country they professed to come for you cannot have come byJ2
landI2
And Ulysses answered I will tell you all about it If there wereM
meat and wine enough and we could stay here in the hut with nothingU2
to do but to eat and drink while the others go to their work IJ2
could easily talk on for a whole twelve months without everM
finishing the story of the sorrows with which it has pleased heaven toA
visit meB
I am by birth a Cretan my father was a well to do man who hadE
many sons born in marriage whereas I was the son of a slave whom heB
had purchased for a concubine nevertheless my father Castor son ofT
Hylax whose lineage I claim and who was held in the highest honourM
among the Cretans for his wealth prosperity and the valour of hisH2
sons put me on the same level with my brothers who had been born inK
wedlock When however death took him to the house of Hades his sonsH2
divided his estate and cast lots for their shares but to me they gaveF3
a holding and little else nevertheless my valour enabled me to marryM
into a rich family for I was not given to bragging or shirking onZ
the field of battle It is all over now still if you look at theC
straw you can see what the ear was for I have had trouble enoughG3
and to spare Mars and Minerva made me doughty in war when I hadE
picked my men to surprise the enemy with an ambuscade I never gaveF3
death so much as a thought but was the first to leap forward andL
spear all whom I could overtake Such was I in battle but I did notO2
care about farm work nor the frugal home life of those who wouldO
bring up children My delight was in ships fighting javelins andL
arrows things that most men shudder to think of but one man likesH2
one thing and another another and this was what I was mostH3
naturally inclined to Before the Achaeans went to Troy nine timesH2
was I in command of men and ships on foreign service and I amassedI3
much wealth I had my pick of the spoil in the first instance andL
much more was allotted to me later onZ
My house grew apace and I became a great man among the Cretans butF2
when Jove counselled that terrible expedition in which so manyM
perished the people required me and Idomeneus to lead their shipsH2
to Troy and there was no way out of it for they insisted on ourM
doing so There we fought for nine whole years but in the tenth weM
sacked the city of Priam and sailed home again as heaven dispersed usH2
Then it was that Jove devised evil against me I spent but one monthJ3
happily with my children wife and property and then I conceived theC
idea of making a descent on Egypt so I fitted out a fine fleet andL
manned it I had nine ships and the people flocked to fill themF
For six days I and my men made feast and I found them many victimsH2
both for sacrifice to the gods and for themselves but on theC
seventh day we went on board and set sail from Crete with a fair NorthK3
wind behind us though we were going down a river Nothing went illD2
with any of our ships and we had no sickness on board but satL2
where we were and let the ships go as the wind and steersmen tookL3
them On the fifth day we reached the river Aegyptus there IJ2
stationed my ships in the river bidding my men stay by them andL
keep guard over them while I sent out scouts to reconnoitre from everyM
point of vantageM3
But the men disobeyed my orders took to their own devices andL
ravaged the land of the Egyptians killing the men and taking theirM
wives and children captive The alarm was soon carried to the cityM
and when they heard the war cry the people came out at daybreakN3
till the plain was filled with horsemen and foot soldiers and with theC
gleam of armour Then Jove spread panic among my men and they wouldO
no longer face the enemy for they found themselves surrounded TheC
Egyptians killed many of us and took the rest alive to do forcedO3
labour for them Jove however put it in my mind to do thus and IJ2
wish I had died then and there in Egypt instead for there was muchW2
sorrow in store for me I took off my helmet and shield and dropped myJ2
spear from my hand then I went straight up to the king's chariotF2
clasped his knees and kissed them whereon he spared my life badeA2
me get into his chariot and took me weeping to his own home ManyM
made at me with their ashen spears and tried to kil me in theirM
fury but the king protected me for he feared the wrath of Jove theC
protector of strangers who punishes those who do evilP3
I stayed there for seven years and got together much money amongQ3
the Egyptians for they all gave me something but when it was nowR3
going on for eight years there came a certain Phoenician a cunningU2
rascal who had already committed all sorts of villainy and thisH2
man talked me over into going with him to Phoenicia where his houseH2
and his possessions lay I stayed there for a whole twelve months butF2
at the end of that time when months and days had gone by till the sameS3
season had come round again he set me on board a ship bound forM
Libya on a pretence that I was to take a cargo along with him to thatL2
place but really that he might sell me as a slave and take theC
money I fetched I suspected his intention but went on board withY2
him for I could not help itY
The ship ran before a fresh North wind till we had reached theC
sea that lies between Crete and Libya there however Jove counselledY
their destruction for as soon as we were well out from Crete andY
could see nothing but sea and sky he raised a black cloud over ourM
ship and the sea grew dark beneath it Then Jove let fly with hisH2
thunderbolts and the ship went round and round and was filled withY2
fire and brimstone as the lightning struck it The men fell all intoY
the sea they were carried about in the water round the ship lookingU2
like so many sea gulls but the god presently deprived them of allT3
chance of getting home again I was all dismayed Jove howeverM
sent the ship's mast within my reach which saved my life for I clungQ3
to it and drifted before the fury of the gale Nine days did IJ2
drift but in the darkness of the tenth night a great wave bore me onZ
to the Thesprotian coast There Pheidon king of the ThesprotiansH2
entertained me hospitably without charging me anything at all forM
his son found me when I was nearly dead with cold and fatigue whereonZ
he raised me by the hand took me to his father's house and gave meM
clothes to wearM
There it was that I heard news of Ulysses for the king told meM
he had entertained him and shown him much hospitality while he was onZ
his homeward journey He showed me also the treasure of gold andY
wrought iron that Ulysses had got together There was enough to keepU3
his family for ten generations so much had he left in the house ofT
king Pheidon But the king said Ulysses had gone to Dodona that heM
might learn Jove's mind from the god's high oak tree and know whetherM
after so long an absence he should return to Ithaca openly or inZ
secret Moreover the king swore in my presence making drink offeringsH2
in his own house as he did so that the ship was by the water sideY
and the crew found that should take him to his own country He sentY
me off however before Ulysses returned for there happened to be aC
Thesprotian ship sailing for the wheat growing island of DulichiumM
and he told those in charge of her to be sure and take me safely toY
King AcastusH2
These men hatched a plot against me that would have reduced me toY
the very extreme of misery for when the ship had got some way outY
from land they resolved on selling me as a slave They stripped meM
of the shirt and cloak that I was wearing and gave me instead theC
tattered old clouts in which you now see me then towardsH2
nightfall they reached the tilled lands of Ithaca and there theyG2
bound me with a strong rope fast in the ship while they went on shoreM
to get supper by the sea side But the gods soon undid my bonds forM
me and having drawn my rags over my head I slid down the rudderM
into the sea where I struck out and swam till I was well clear ofT
them and came ashore near a thick wood in which I lay concealed TheyG2
were very angry at my having escaped and went searching about forM
me till at last they thought it was no further use and went back toY
their ship The gods having hidden me thus easily then took me toY
a good man's door for it seems that I am not to die yet awhileV3
To this you answered O swineherd Eumaeus Poor unhappy stranger IJ2
have found the story of your misfortunes extremely interesting butY
that part about Ulysses is not right and you will never get me toY
believe it Why should a man like you go about telling lies in thisH2
way I know all about the return of my master The gods one and all ofT
them detest him or they would have taken him before Troy or letY
him die with friends around him when the days of his fighting wereM
done for then the Achaeans would have built a mound over his ashesH2
and his son would have been heir to his renown but now the stormM
winds have spirited him away we know not whitherM
As for me I live out of the way here with the pigs and never go toY
the town unless when Penelope sends for me on the arrival of some newsH2
about Ulysses Then they all sit round and ask questions both thoseH2
who grieve over the king's absence and those who rejoice at itY
because they can eat up his property without paying for it For my ownZ
part I have never cared about asking anyone else since the time when IJ2
was taken in by an Aetolian who had killed a man and come a longW3
way till at last he reached my station and I was very kind to him HeM
said he had seen Ulysses with Idomeneus among the Cretans refittingU2
his ships which had been damaged in a gale He said Ulysses wouldY
return in the following summer or autumn with his men and that heM
would bring back much wealth And now you you unfortunate old manZ
since fate has brought you to my door do not try to flatter me inZ
this way with vain hopes It is not for any such reason that I shallX3
treat you kindly but only out of respect for Jove the god ofT
hospitality as fearing him and pitying youY
Ulysses answered I see that you are of an unbelieving mind I haveU
given you my oath and yet you will not credit me let us then makeN3
a bargain and call all the gods in heaven to witness it If yourM
master comes home give me a cloak and shirt of good wear and send meM
to Dulichium where I want to go but if he does not come as I say heM
will set your men on to me and tell them to throw me from yonderM
precepice as a warning to tramps not to go about the countryM
telling liesH2
And a pretty figure I should cut then replied Eumaeus both nowZ
and hereafter if I were to kill you after receiving you into my hutY
and showing you hospitality I should have to say my prayers in goodY
earnest if I did but it is just supper time and I hope my men willD2
come in directly that we may cook something savoury for supperM
Thus did they converse and presently the swineherds came up withY2
the pigs which were then shut up for the night in their sties andY
a tremendous squealing they made as they were being driven intoY
them But Eumaeus called to his men and said Bring in the best pigY3
you have that I may sacrifice for this stranger and we will takeN3
toll of him ourselves We have had trouble enough this long timeM
feeding pigs while others reap the fruit of our labourM
On this he began chopping firewood while the others brought in aC
fine fat five year old boar pig and set it at the altar EumaeusH2
did not forget the gods for he was a man of good principles so theC
first thing he did was to cut bristles from the pig's face and throwM
them into the fire praying to all the gods as he did so thatY
Ulysses might return home again Then he clubbed the pig with a billetY
of oak which he had kept back when he was chopping the firewood andY
stunned it while the others slaughtered and singed it Then theyG2
cut it up and Eumaeus began by putting raw pieces from each jointY
on to some of the fat these he sprinkled with barley meal and laidY
upon the embers they cut the rest of the meat up small put theC
pieces upon the spits and roasted them till they were done whenZ
they had taken them off the spits they threw them on to the dresser inZ
a heap The swineherd who was a most equitable man then stood upZ3
to give every one his share He made seven portions one of these heM
set apart for Mercury the son of Maia and the nymphs praying toY
them as he did so the others he dealt out to the men man by man HeM
gave Ulysses some slices cut lengthways down the loin as a mark ofT
especial honour and Ulysses was much pleased I hope Eumaeus saidY
he that Jove will be as well disposed towards you as I am for theC
respect you are showing to an outcast like myselfA4
To this you answered O swineherd Eumaeus Eat my good fellow andY
enjoy your supper such as it is God grants this and withholds thatY
just as he thinks right for he can do whatever he choosesH2
As he spoke he cut off the first piece and offered it as a burntY
sacrifice to the immortal gods then he made them a drink offeringU2
put the cup in the hands of Ulysses and sat down to his ownZ
portion Mesaulius brought them their bread the swineherd hadY
bought this man on his own account from among the Taphians duringU2
his master's absence and had paid for him with his own moneyM
without saying anything either to his mistress or Laertes They thenZ
laid their hands upon the good things that were before them andY
when they had had enough to eat and drink Mesaulius took away whatY
was left of the bread and they all went to bed after having made aC
hearty supperM
Now the night came on stormy and very dark for there was no moonZ
It poured without ceasing and the wind blew strong from the WestY
which is a wet quarter so Ulysses thought he would see whetherM
Eumaeus in the excellent care he took of him would take off hisH2
own cloak and give it him or make one of his men give him oneZ
Listen to me said he Eumaeus and the rest of you when I haveU
said a prayer I will tell you something It is the wine that makesH2
me talk in this way wine will make even a wise man fall to singingU2
it will make him chuckle and dance and say many a word that he hadY
better leave unspoken still as I have begun I will go on WouldY
that I were still young and strong as when we got up an ambuscadeY
before Troy Menelaus and Ulysses were the leaders but I was inZ
command also for the other two would have it so When we had comeM
up to the wall of the city we crouched down beneath our armour and layG2
there under cover of the reeds and thick brush wood that grew aboutY
the swamp It came on to freeze with a North wind blowing the snowM
fell small and fine like hoar frost and our shields were coated thickB4
with rime The others had all got cloaks and shirts and sleptY
comfortably enough with their shields about their shoulders but I hadY
carelessly left my cloak behind me not thinking that I should beM
too cold and had gone off in nothing but my shirt and shield WhenZ
the night was two thirds through and the stars had shifted their theirM
places I nudged Ulysses who was close to me with my elbow and heM
at once gave me his earM
'Ulysses ' said I 'this cold will be the death of me for I haveU
no cloak some god fooled me into setting off with nothing on but myJ2
shirt and I do not know what to do 'C4
Ulysses who was as crafty as he was valiant hit upon theC
following planZ
'Keep still ' said he in a low voice 'or the others will hearM
you ' Then he raised his head on his elbowM
'My friends ' said he 'I have had a dream from heaven in my sleepU3
We are a long way from the ships I wish some one would go down andY
tell Agamemnon to send us up more men at once 'C4
On this Thoas son of Andraemon threw off his cloak and set outY
running to the ships whereon I took the cloak and lay in itY
comfortably enough till morning Would that I were still young andY
strong as I was in those days for then some one of you swineherdsH2
would give me a cloak both out of good will and for the respect due toY
a brave soldier but now people look down upon me because my clothesH2
are shabbyM
And Eumaeus answered Old man you have told us an excellent storyM
and have said nothing so far but what is quite satisfactory for theC
present therefore you shall want neither clothing nor anythingU2
else that a stranger in distress may reasonably expect butY
to morrow morning you have to shake your own old rags about yourM
body again for we have not many spare cloaks nor shirts up hereM
but every man has only one When Ulysses' son comes home again he willD2
give you both cloak and shirt and send you wherever you may want toY
goM
With this he got up and made a bed for Ulysses by throwing someM
goatskins and sheepskins on the ground in front of the fire HereM
Ulysses lay down and Eumaeus covered him over with a great heavyM
cloak that he kept for a change in case of extraordinarily badY
weatherM
Thus did Ulysses sleep and the young men slept beside him ButY
the swineherd did not like sleeping away from his pigs so he gotY
ready to go and Ulysses was glad to see that he looked after hisH2
property during his master's absence First he slung his sword overM
his brawny shoulders and put on a thick cloak to keep out the wind HeM
also took the skin of a large and well fed goat and a javelin in caseH2
of attack from men or dogs Thus equipped he went to his rest whereM
the pigs were camping under an overhanging rock that gave them shelterM
from the North windY

Homer



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Odyssey: Book 14 poem by Homer


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 7 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets