The Odyssey: Book 22 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIBJCEKLMNOPQ HRSTTUDVSWXYZA2OOB2C 2D2OE2F2C2G2H2E2I2DI 2YJ2NK2L2M2N2J2O2P2B KDG2Q2H2SR2BDH2OH2OO TA2Q2OS2T2R2QN2E2N2U 2GQ2E2V2KEH2BH2DEW2H 2J2BX2IY2MR2ODH2OZ2O H2ST2Z2H2H2DN2EDRE2H 2GA3QOB3ODR2H2N2C3D3 BE3H2BH2H2H2BH2GF3G3 FBBQ2G2OOH3M2BI3OC2U EH2H2BOQ2H2N2H2R2M2G 2J3RC2OF3H2F3K3C2BL3 R2M3N3O3P3H2E2R2PF3B SB2NH2ZQ3G2TNG2R3BH2 DG2H2N2H2R2K3F3H2S3R 2KT3BJ3R2BF3N2E2U3WL 3SG2V3R2C2N2W3R2B2X3 SY3OKJ2BJ2W3BH2R2Z3F 3W3TOR2OR2R2K3R2OC3F 3H2F3X2BOH2H2N2H2DA4 H2U3R2G2B4N3C2C4N2N2 UR2R2R2UR2FR2DQBZE2H 2H2D4E4N2R2H2F4G4KN2 K3R2FUDODE2H4DOM2N2B BC4N2H2BH2OI4MF3H2BP B2BBBPBH2H2WJ4H2R2DB 3OFR2H2PT3K4BE2BR2H2 OH2B2H2N2R2A2F3H2H2M

Then Ulysses tore off his rags and sprang on to the broadA
pavement with his bow and his quiver full of arrows He shed theB
arrows on to the ground at his feet and said The mighty contest isC
at an end I will now see whether Apollo will vouchsafe it to me toD
hit another mark which no man has yet hitE
On this he aimed a deadly arrow at Antinous who was about to takeF
up a two handled gold cup to drink his wine and already had it inG
his hands He had no thought of death who amongst all the revellersH
would think that one man however brave would stand alone among soI
many and kill him The arrow struck Antinous in the throat and theB
point went clean through his neck so that he fell over and the cupJ
dropped from his hand while a thick stream of blood gushed from hisC
nostrils He kicked the table from him and upset the things on itE
so that the bread and roasted meats were all soiled as they fellK
over on to the ground The suitors were in an uproar when they sawL
that a man had been hit they sprang in dismay one and all of themM
from their seats and looked everywhere towards the walls but thereN
was neither shield nor spear and they rebuked Ulysses very angrilyO
Stranger said they you shall pay for shooting people in this wayP
om yi you shall see no other contest you are a doomed man he whomQ
you have slain was the foremost youth in Ithaca and the vulturesH
shall devour you for having killed himR
Thus they spoke for they thought that he had killed Antinous byS
mistake and did not perceive that death was hanging over the headT
of every one of them But Ulysses glared at them and saidT
Dogs did you think that I should not come back from Troy You haveU
wasted my substance have forced my women servants to lie with youD
and have wooed my wife while I was still living You have fearedV
neither Cod nor man and now you shall dieS
They turned pale with fear as he spoke and every man looked roundW
about to see whither he might fly for safety but Eurymachus aloneX
spokeY
If you are Ulysses said he then what you have said is justZ
We have done much wrong on your lands and in your house ButA2
Antinous who was the head and front of the offending lies low alreadyO
It was all his doing It was not that he wanted to marry PenelopeO
he did not so much care about that what he wanted was something quiteB2
different and Jove has not vouchsafed it to him he wanted to killC2
your son and to be chief man in Ithaca Now therefore that he hasD2
met the death which was his due spare the lives of your people WeO
will make everything good among ourselves and pay you in full for allE2
that we have eaten and drunk Each one of us shall pay you a fineF2
worth twenty oxen and we will keep on giving you gold and bronze tillC2
your heart is softened Until we have done this no one can complain ofG2
your being enraged against usH2
Ulysses again glared at him and said Though you should give me allE2
that you have in the world both now and all that you ever shallI2
have I will not stay my hand till I have paid all of you in full YouD
must fight or fly for your lives and fly not a man of you shallI2
Their hearts sank as they heard him but Eurymachus again spokeY
sayingJ2
My friends this man will give us no quarter He will stand whereN
he is and shoot us down till he has killed every man among us LetK2
us then show fight draw your swords and hold up the tables to shieldL2
you from his arrows Let us have at him with a rush to drive him fromM2
the pavement and doorway we can then get through into the town andN2
raise such an alarm as shall soon stay his shootingJ2
As he spoke he drew his keen blade of bronze sharpened on bothO2
sides and with a loud cry sprang towards Ulysses but UlyssesP2
instantly shot an arrow into his breast that caught him by theB
nipple and fixed itself in his liver He dropped his sword and fellK
doubled up over his table The cup and all the meats went over on toD
the ground as he smote the earth with his forehead in the agonies ofG2
death and he kicked the stool with his feet until his eyes wereQ2
closed in darknessH2
Then Amphinomus drew his sword and made straight at Ulysses to tryS
and get him away from the door but Telemachus was too quick forR2
him and struck him from behind the spear caught him between theB
shoulders and went right through his chest so that he fell heavily toD
the ground and struck the earth with his forehead Then TelemachusH2
sprang away from him leaving his spear still in the body for heO
feared that if he stayed to draw it out some one of the AchaeansH2
might come up and hack at him with his sword or knock him down so heO
set off at a run and immediately was at his father's side Then heO
saidT
Father let me bring you a shield two spears and a brass helmetA2
for your temples I will arm myself as well and will bring otherQ2
armour for the swineherd and the stockman for we had better beO
armedS2
Run and fetch them answered Ulysses while my arrows hold outT2
or when I am alone they may get me away from the doorR2
Telemachus did as his father said and went off to the store roomQ
where the armour was kept He chose four shields eight spears andN2
four brass helmets with horse hair plumes He brought them with allE2
speed to his father and armed himself first while the stockman andN2
the swineherd also put on their armour and took their places nearU2
Ulysses Meanwhile Ulysses as long as his arrows lasted had beenG
shooting the suitors one by one and they fell thick on one anotherQ2
when his arrows gave out he set the bow to stand against the end wallE2
of the house by the door post and hung a shield four hides thickV2
about his shoulders on his comely head he set his helmet wellK
wrought with a crest of horse hair that nodded menacingly above itE
and he grasped two redoubtable bronze shod spearsH2
Now there was a trap door on the wall while at one end of theB
pavement there was an exit leading to a narrow passage and thisH2
exit was closed by a well made door Ulysses told Philoetius toD
stand by this door and guard it for only one person could attack itE
at a time But Agelaus shouted out Cannot some one go up to the trapW2
door and tell the people what is going on Help would come at onceH2
and we should soon make an end of this man and his shootingJ2
This may not be Agelaus answered Melanthius the mouth of theB
narrow passage is dangerously near the entrance to the outer courtX2
One brave man could prevent any number from getting in But I knowI
what I will do I will bring you arms from the store room for I amY2
sure it is there that Ulysses and his son have put themM
On this the goatherd Melanthius went by back passages to the storeR2
room of Ulysses house There he chose twelve shields with as manyO
helmets and spears and brought them back as fast as he could toD
give them to the suitors Ulysses' heart began to fail him when he sawH2
the suitors putting on their armour and brandishing their spears HeO
saw the greatness of the danger and said to Telemachus Some oneZ2
of the women inside is helping the suitors against us or it may beO
MelanthiusH2
Telemachus answered The fault father is mine and mine only IS
left the store room door open and they have kept a sharper look outT2
than I have Go Eumaeus put the door to and see whether it is oneZ2
of the women who is doing this or whether as I suspect it isH2
Melanthius the son of DoliusH2
Thus did they converse Meanwhile Melanthius was again going toD
the store room to fetch more armour but the swineherd saw him andN2
said to Ulysses who was beside him Ulysses noble son of Laertes itE
is that scoundrel Melanthius just as we suspected who is going toD
the store room Say shall I kill him if I can get the better of himR
or shall I bring him here that you may take your own revenge for allE2
the many wrongs that he has done in your houseH2
Ulysses answered Telemachus and I will hold these suitors inG
check no matter what they do go back both of you and bindA3
Melanthius' hands and feet behind him Throw him into the store roomQ
and make the door fast behind you then fasten a noose about his bodyO
and string him close up to the rafters from a high bearing postB3
that he may linger on in an agonyO
Thus did he speak and they did even as he had said they went toD
the store room which they entered before Melanthius saw them forR2
he was busy searching for arms in the innermost part of the room soH2
the two took their stand on either side of the door and waited By andN2
by Melanthius came out with a helmet in one hand and an oldC3
dry rotted shield in the other which had been borne by Laertes whenD3
he was young but which had been long since thrown aside and theB
straps had become unsewn on this the two seized him dragged him backE3
by the hair and threw him struggling to the ground They bent hisH2
hands and feet well behind his back and bound them tight with aB
painful bond as Ulysses had told them then they fastened a nooseH2
about his body and strung him up from a high pillar till he wasH2
close up to the rafters and over him did you then vaunt OH2
swineherd Eumaeus saying Melanthius you will pass the night on aB
soft bed as you deserve You will know very well when morning comesH2
from the streams of Oceanus and it is time for you to be driving inG
your goats for the suitors to feast onF3
There then they left him in very cruel bondage and having putG3
on their armour they closed the door behind them and went back to takeF
their places by the side of Ulysses whereon the four men stood in theB
cloister fierce and full of fury nevertheless those who were in theB
body of the court were still both brave and many Then Jove's daughterQ2
Minerva came up to them having assumed the voice and form ofG2
Mentor Ulysses was glad when he saw her and said Mentor lend meO
your help and forget not your old comrade nor the many good turns heO
has done you Besides you are my age mateH3
But all the time he felt sure it was Minerva and the suitors fromM2
the other side raised an uproar when they saw her Agelaus was theB
first to reproach her Mentor he cried do not let Ulysses beguileI3
you into siding with him and fighting the suitors This is what weO
will do when we have killed these people father and son we willC2
kill you too You shall pay for it with your head and when we haveU
killed you we will take all you have in doors or out and bring itE
into hotch pot with Ulysses' property we will not let your sonsH2
live in your house nor your daughters nor shall your widowH2
continue to live in the city of IthacaB
This made Minerva still more furious so she scolded Ulysses veryO
angrily Ulysses said she your strength and prowess are no longerQ2
what they were when you fought for nine long years among the TrojansH2
about the noble lady Helen You killed many a man in those days andN2
it was through your stratagem that Priam's city was taken How comesH2
it that you are so lamentably less valiant now that you are on yourR2
own ground face to face with the suitors in your own house ComeM2
on my good fellow stand by my side and see how Mentor son ofG2
Alcinous shall fight your foes and requite your kindnesses conferredJ3
upon himR
But she would not give him full victory as yet for she wished stillC2
further to prove his own prowess and that of his brave son so sheO
flew up to one of the rafters in the roof of the cloister and sat uponF3
it in the form of a swallowH2
Meanwhile Agelaus son of Damastor Eurynomus AmphimedonF3
Demoptolemus Pisander and Polybus son of Polyctor bore the bruntK3
of the fight upon the suitors' side of all those who were stillC2
fighting for their lives they were by far the most valiant for theB
others had already fallen under the arrows of Ulysses Agelaus shoutedL3
to them and said My friends he will soon have to leave off forR2
Mentor has gone away after having done nothing for him but bragM3
They are standing at the doors unsupported Do not aim at him all atN3
once but six of you throw your spears first and see if you cannotO3
cover yourselves with glory by killing him When he has fallen we needP3
not be uneasy about the othersH2
They threw their spears as he bade them but Minerva made them allE2
of no effect One hit the door post another went against the doorR2
the pointed shaft of another struck the wall and as soon as theyP
had avoided all the spears of the suitors Ulysses said to his own menF3
My friends I should say we too had better let drive into theB
middle of them or they will crown all the harm they have done us byS
us outrightB2
They therefore aimed straight in front of them and threw theirN
spears Ulysses killed Demoptolemus Telemachus Euryades EumaeusH2
Elatus while the stockman killed Pisander These all bit the dustZ
and as the others drew back into a corner Ulysses and his men rushedQ3
forward and regained their spears by drawing them from the bodies ofG2
the deadT
The suitors now aimed a second time but again Minerva made theirN
weapons for the most part without effect One hit a bearing post ofG2
the cloister another went against the door while the pointed shaftR3
of another struck the wall Still Amphimedon just took a piece of theB
top skin from off Telemachus's wrist and Ctesippus managed to grazeH2
Eumaeus's shoulder above his shield but the spear went on and fell toD
the ground Then Ulysses and his men let drive into the crowd ofG2
suitors Ulysses hit Eurydamas Telemachus Amphimedon and EumaeusH2
Polybus After this the stockman hit Ctesippus in the breast andN2
taunted him saying Foul mouthed son of Polytherses do not be soH2
foolish as to talk wickedly another time but let heaven direct yourR2
speech for the gods are far stronger than men I make you a presentK3
of this advice to repay you for the foot which you gave Ulysses whenF3
he was begging about in his own houseH2
Thus spoke the stockman and Ulysses struck the son of Damastor withS3
a spear in close fight while Telemachus hit Leocritus son of EvenorR2
in the belly and the dart went clean through him so that he fellK
forward full on his face upon the ground Then Minerva from her seatT3
on the rafter held up her deadly aegis and the hearts of theB
suitors quailed They fled to the other end of the court like a herdJ3
of cattle maddened by the gadfly in early summer when the days areR2
at their longest As eagle beaked crook taloned vultures from theB
mountains swoop down on the smaller birds that cower in flocks uponF3
the ground and kill them for they cannot either fight or fly andN2
lookers on enjoy the sport even so did Ulysses and his men fallE2
upon the suitors and smite them on every side They made a horribleU3
groaning as their brains were being battered in and the groundW
seethed with their bloodL3
Leiodes then caught the knees of Ulysses and said Ulysses IS
beseech you have mercy upon me and spare me I never wronged any ofG2
the women in your house either in word or deed and I tried to stopV3
the others I saw them but they would not listen and now they areR2
paying for their folly I was their sacrificing priest if you killC2
me I shall die without having done anything to deserve it andN2
shall have got no thanks for all the good that I didW3
Ulysses looked sternly at him and answered If you were theirR2
sacrificing priest you must have prayed many a time that it mightB2
be long before I got home again and that you might marry my wifeX3
and have children by her Therefore you shall dieS
With these words he picked up the sword that Agelaus had droppedY3
when he was being killed and which was lying upon the ground Then heO
struck Leiodes on the back of his neck so that his head fellK
rolling in the dust while he was yet speakingJ2
The minstrel Phemius son of Terpes he who had been forced by theB
suitors to sing to them now tried to save his life He was standingJ2
near towards the trap door and held his lyre in his hand He didW3
not know whether to fly out of the cloister and sit down by theB
altar of Jove that was in the outer court and on which both LaertesH2
and Ulysses had offered up the thigh bones of many an ox or whetherR2
to go straight up to Ulysses and embrace his knees but in the endZ3
he deemed it best to embrace Ulysses' knees So he laid his lyre onF3
the ground the ground between the mixing bowl and the silver studdedW3
seat then going up to Ulysses he caught hold of his knees and saidT
Ulysses I beseech you have mercy on me and spare me You will beO
sorry for it afterwards if you kill a bard who can sing both forR2
gods and men as I can I make all my lays myself and heaven visits meO
with every kind of inspiration I would sing to you as though you wereR2
a god do not therefore be in such a hurry to cut my head off YourR2
own son Telemachus will tell you that I did not want to frequentK3
your house and sing to the suitors after their meals but they wereR2
too many and too strong for me so they made meO
Telemachus heard him and at once went up to his father HoldC3
he cried the man is guiltless do him no hurt and we will MedonF3
too who was always good to me when I was a boy unless PhiloetiusH2
or Eumaeus has already killed him or he has fallen in your way whenF3
you were raging about the courtX2
Medon caught these words of Telemachus for he was crouching under aB
seat beneath which he had hidden by covering himself up with a freshlyO
flayed heifer's hide so he threw off the hide went up to TelemachusH2
and laid hold of his kneesH2
Here I am my dear sir said he stay your hand therefore andN2
tell your father or he will kill me in his rage against the suitorsH2
for having wasted his substance and been so foolishly disrespectful toD
yourselfA4
Ulysses smiled at him and answered Fear not Telemachus hasH2
saved your life that you may know in future and tell other peopleU3
how greatly better good deeds prosper than evil ones Go thereforeR2
outside the cloisters into the outer court and be out of the way ofG2
the slaughter you and the bard while I finish my work here insideB4
The pair went into the outer court as fast as they could and satN3
down by Jove's great altar looking fearfully round and stillC2
expecting that they would be killed Then Ulysses searched the wholeC4
court carefully over to see if anyone had managed to hide himself andN2
was still living but he found them all lying in the dust andN2
weltering in their blood They were like fishes which fishermen haveU
netted out of the sea and thrown upon the beach to lie gasping forR2
water till the heat of the sun makes an end of them Even so wereR2
the suitors lying all huddled up one against the otherR2
Then Ulysses said to Telemachus Call nurse Euryclea I haveU
something to say to herR2
Telemachus went and knocked at the door of the women's room MakeF
haste said he you old woman who have been set over all the otherR2
women in the house Come outside my father wishes to speak to youD
When Euryclea heard this she unfastened the door of the women's roomQ
and came out following Telemachus She found Ulysses among theB
corpses bespattered with blood and filth like a lion that has justZ
been devouring an ox and his breast and both his cheeks are allE2
bloody so that he is a fearful sight even so was UlyssesH2
besmirched from head to foot with gore When she saw all the corpsesH2
and such a quantity of blood she was beginning to cry out for joyD4
for she saw that a great deed had been done but Ulysses checkedE4
her Old woman said he rejoice in silence restrain yourself andN2
do not make any noise about it it is an unholy thing to vaunt overR2
dead men Heaven's doom and their own evil deeds have brought theseH2
men to destruction for they respected no man in the whole worldF4
neither rich nor poor who came near them and they have come to a badG4
end as a punishment for their wickedness and folly Now however tellK
me which of the women in the house have misconducted themselves andN2
who are innocentK3
I will tell you the truth my son answered Euryclea There areR2
fifty women in the house whom we teach to do things such as cardingF
wool and all kinds of household work Of these twelve in all haveU
misbehaved and have been wanting in respect to me and also toD
Penelope They showed no disrespect to Telemachus for he has onlyO
lately grown and his mother never permitted him to give orders toD
the female servants but let me go upstairs and tell your wife allE2
that has happened for some god has been sending her to sleepH4
Do not wake her yet answered Ulysses but tell the women whoD
have misconducted themselves to come to meO
Euryclea left the cloister to tell the women and make them comeM2
to Ulysses in the meantime he called Telemachus the stockman andN2
the swineherd Begin said he to remove the dead and make theB
women help you Then get sponges and clean water to swill down theB
tables and seats When you have thoroughly cleansed the wholeC4
cloisters take the women into the space between the domed room andN2
the wall of the outer court and run them through with your swordsH2
till they are quite dead and have forgotten all about love and theB
way in which they used to lie in secret with the suitorsH2
On this the women came down in a body weeping and wailing bitterlyO
First they carried the dead bodies out and propped them up againstI4
one another in the gatehouse Ulysses ordered them about and made themM
do their work quickly so they had to carry the bodies out WhenF3
they had done this they cleaned all the tables and seats with spongesH2
and water while Telemachus and the two others shovelled up theB
blood and dirt from the ground and the women carried it all awayP
and put it out of doors Then when they had made the whole place quiteB2
clean and orderly they took the women out and hemmed them in theB
narrow space between the wall of the domed room and that of theB
yard so that they could not get away and Telemachus said to theB
other two I shall not let these women die a clean death for theyP
were insolent to me and my mother and used to sleep with theB
suitorsH2
So saying he made a ship's cable fast to one of the bearing postsH2
that supported the roof of the domed room and secured it all aroundW
the building at a good height lest any of the women's feet shouldJ4
touch the ground and as thrushes or doves beat against a net that hasH2
been set for them in a thicket just as they were getting to theirR2
nest and a terrible fate awaits them even so did the women have toD
put their heads in nooses one after the other and die mostB3
miserably Their feet moved convulsively for a while but not for veryO
longF
As for Melanthius they took him through the cloister into the innerR2
court There they cut off his nose and his ears they drew out hisH2
vitals and gave them to the dogs raw and then in their fury theyP
cut off his hands and his feetT3
When they had done this they washed their hands and feet and wentK4
back into the house for all was now over and Ulysses said to theB
dear old nurse Euryclea Bring me sulphur which cleanses allE2
pollution and fetch fire also that I may burn it and purify theB
cloisters Go moreover and tell Penelope to come here with herR2
attendants and also all the maid servants that are in the houseH2
All that you have said is true answered Euryclea but let meO
bring you some clean clothes a shirt and cloak Do not keep theseH2
rags on your back any longer It is not rightB2
First light me a fire replied UlyssesH2
She brought the fire and sulphur as he had bidden her andN2
Ulysses thoroughly purified the cloisters and both the inner and outerR2
courts Then she went inside to call the women and tell them whatA2
had happened whereon they came from their apartment with torches inF3
their hands and pressed round Ulysses to embrace him kissing hisH2
head and shoulders and taking hold of his hands It made him feel asH2
if he should like to weep for he remembered every one of themM

Homer



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