Odysseus To Telemachus Literary Devices

Joseph Brodsky, the poet of “Odysseus to Telemachus”, successfully conveys the feelings of a homesick man -- Odysseus from The Odyssey -- longing to see his son, Telemachus, once more by both relating it to The Odyssey and using assorted literary devices. The poem is three stanzas long, and formatted like a letter from Odysseus to Telemachus -- which allows the reader feel as if they are catching a glimpse into the heart and despair of Odysseus while he is journeying back home. In “Odysseus to Telemachus”, Odysseus first contemplates the events of the Trojan War, but finds that he cannot even recall who the victor was -- despite having been a main contender in it himself. Afterwards, he begins to describe his current location: a dirty island housing pigs, buildings, weeds, and plants. He comments that all islands look the same to him after going through all of the struggles of travel by sea. He then concludes by addressing Telemachus directly, claiming that although it is uncertain whether they will reunite or not, Palamedes’ trick might have been for the better.

Odysseus finds himself on an island on which there are both pigs and a queen. This alludes to Book 10 of The Odyssey, in which this queen is revealed to be Circe, a goddess of magic. Odysseus and his crew find themselves on her island, and she turns his crew into pigs. But for the time being, Odysseus only reminisces on the struggles of his travel by sea: the rough waves, the seemingly endless water, and the hardships of navigation. By allowing the reader to connect the poem to The Odyssey, the reader feels more connected to Odysseus’