Repetition of Despondency

Conventional wisdom dictates that the repetition of words, phrases, and ideas help to aid the reader in acquiring knowledge and recognizing important textual clues. However, Homer displays how repetition can also be used as a way to highlight the plight of humanity and our inability to truly know anything. Odysseus’ clever use of repetition allows him to sway the thinking and attitudes of his men, forcing them to recognize their dire situation and take steps to end their peril.

In lines 207-211 of Book 10, Odysseus analyzes the situation of his journey and of his men. As night falls, Odysseus gathers his men and implores them to:

‘Listen to me, my comrades, brothers in hardship,

we can’t tell the east from west, the dawn from the dusk,

nor where the sun that lights our lives goes under earth

nor where it rises. We must think of a plan at once,

some cunning stroke. I doubt there’s one still left.

Odysseus is seeking to inform his men of the disturbing realization that man’s knowledge is extremely limited, and he uses the set sun and the onset of night as an example of man’s helpless stupidity. Repetition allows Odysseus to effectively convey his message, as the comparisons of not being able to tell “east from west” or “dawn from the dusk” force his listeners to accept his words as truth. The examples are beautifully thought out, constructed, and presented, making for an eloquent and powerful sentence.

Of course, Odysseus is not calling his men together simply to depress them. He knows he must remind them of their current horrible state in order to shock them into the desperation required to find a solution. He creates this sense of worry through his repetition, hoping that it will inspire his men to greatness.

Odysseus is often described as a great speaker, or as a man of words, and this is an example of how his language can inspire action. The repetition of realistic, philosophical, yet helpless phrases allow Odysseus to beautifully craft a sense of despondency. Ultimately, great Odysseus will “think of a plan” and will discover “some cunning stroke,” but without the recognition and subsequent realization of despair and futility, perhaps Odysseus would not have experienced such great success.