Reading The Odyssey by Homer

As translated by T.E. Lawrence

Book Four

Telemachus has arrived at Lacedaemon, "home to famous Menelaus," husband to Helen.

Hospitality is at once offered, and it is Helen who guesses rightly that one of the strangers "surely must be Telemachus". Helen who "like a vision of Artemis of the golden distaff [comes] out from her high-coffered, incense-laden room with her women".

After some time has gone by, Helen begins to tell them what happened at Troy. The next morning Menelaus recounts how he managed to make it safely home and also provides Telemachus with a clue as to where his father might be.

Back at Ithaca, there is something sinister being planned.

Reading The Odyssey by Homer

As translated by T.E. Lawrence

Book Three

Accompanied by Athene, daughter of Zeus, Telemachus goes to see Nestor who fought in the Trojan War. He hopes that Nestor might have some information as to the whereabouts of his absent father, Odysseus.

"Peisistratus, Nestor's son,....took a hand of Athene and a hand of Telemachus and led them to fleecy sheepskins spread over the sand of the beach beside the platters, where sat Thrasymedes, his own brother, and Nestor their father. He gave them portions of the beasts' inwards: and pouring wine into a gold tankard he raised it to Pallas Athene...."

Reading The Odyssey by Homer

As translated by T.E. Lawrence

Book One begins,

"By now the other warriors, those that had escaped
head-long ruin by sea or in battle, were safely home.
Only Odysseus tarried, shut up by Lady Calypso, a
nymph and very Goddess, in her hewn-out caves."

I am having to stop now and again to sort out the Gods and Goddesses; some I know and some I don't. My companion book is an encyclopedia of Greek mythology, and I am finding it very helpful.

Classic Literature

It took me awhile to realize what classic I wanted to read next after Moby-Dick. I have a rather yellowed paperback copy of The Odyssey by Homer, Translated by T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) which I had started reading several years ago, but unfortunately never finished. So The Odyssey is my choice.

"The oldest book worth reading for its story, and the first novel of Europe." ~ T.E. Lawrence (1888-1935)

The Invocation -

O Divine Poesy
Goddess-Daughter of Zeus
sustain for me
this song of the various-minded man
who after he had plundered
the innermost citadel of hallowed Troy
was made to stray grievously
about the coasts of men
the sport of their customs good or bad
while his heart
through all the sea-faring
ached in an agony to redeem himself
and bring his company safe home

Vain hope - for them
for his fellows he strove in vain
their own witlessness cast them away
the fools
to destroy for meat
the oxen of the most exalted sun
wherefore the Sun-god blotted out
the day of their return

Make the tale live for us
in all its many bearings
O Muse

A Blade of Grass

The moment one gives close attention to anything,
even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious,
awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
~ Henry Miller (1891-1980)

Novelist and Painter

Reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

132. The Symphony
133. The Chase - First Day
134. The Chase - Second Day
135. The Chase - Third Day
Epilogue
The End

The suspense builds as Captain Ahab continues "this pertinacious* pursuit of one particular whale".

*pertinacious - holding firmly to some purpose or belief

I won't say anymore. If you wish to know the outcome you will have to read this masterpiece for yourself.

Reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

128. The Pequod Meets the Rachel
129. The Cabin
130. The Hat
131. The Pequod Meets the Delight

The Pequod sights "a large ship, the Rachel"...."all her spars thickly clustering with men". They have seen the white whale and are now searching for a lost whale boat. It is a heart breaking story - one of the missing crew is the captain's young son. This chapter makes reference to the Bible's Rachel who "[wept] for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were no more".

Later, there is an exchange of words between Ahab and Pip.

Now that he knows that Moby-Dick is close, Captain Ahab, "....his hat slouched heavily over his eyes," remains on deck in a constant watch. Several days pass. Ahab has himself "hoisted" aloft in a basket so that he might "have the first sight of the whale". There is a sense of foreboding.

Another unfortunate ship reaches them.

Reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

124. The Needle
125. The Log and Line
126. The Lifebuoy
127. The Deck

After the storm, Ahab discovers that the compass has been affected by the lightning rendering it useless. He proceeds to construct another needle to everyone's amazement.

The log and line is a unique device that determines the progress of the ship, and this too is replaced as it has deteriorated over the course of the journey.

Another lifebuoy is also needed.

"A lifebuoy of a coffin!" Very puzzling!

Reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

119. The Candles
120. The Deck Towards the End of the First Night Watch
121. Midnight -- The Forecastle Bulwarks
122. Midnight Aloft -- Thunder and Lightning
123. The Musket

A typhoon hits the Pequod in the Japan waters.

Reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

114. The Gilder

"Would to God these blessed calms would last. But the mingled, mingling threads of life are woven by warp and woof; calms crossed by storms, a storm for every calm."

115. The Pequod Meets the Bachelor
Or "The Moody Pequod Meets the Glad Ship of Good Luck"

116. The Dying Whale

"Not seldom in this life, when, on the right side, fortune's favourites sail close by us, we, though all adroop before, catch somewhat of the rushing breeze, and joyfully feel our bagging sails fill out."

117. The Whale Watch

"....the midnight waves....gently chafed the [dead] whale's broad flank, like soft surf upon a beach."

118. The Quadrant
Ahab inquires of the Sun:

"Thou sea-mark! Thou high and mighty Pilot! Thou tellest me truly where I am - but canst thou cast the least hint where I shall be? ....Where is Moby-Dick? This instant thou must be eyeing him."