Critical Lens the Odyseey and Ithaka

Ms. Zivas
Critical Lens According to an unknown author, “It is not what an author states, but what he or she whispers that is important.” In other words, every detail in every book or work of literature has a more complex meaning than what is on the paper. Two works that prove this quote true are The Odyssey by Homer and “Ithaka” by Constantine Cavafy. The Odyssey by Homer is a metaphor for life. “It is the journey that makes up your life” as said by Tiresias, a blind prophet in The Odyssey. There are many life lessons or lessons learned in this work. For example, in the episode The Lotus Eaters, the lesson Homer meant to teach his listener was to resist temptations. Another lesson Homer meant to teach was that temptations can lead to danger. This was said in The Sirens episode. Life is a long but interesting path. One will never know what might happen. All of the creatures or characters in The Odyssey represent an obstacle someone might face in life. As said before, The Odyssey by Homer is a metaphor for life. “Ithaka” by Constantine Cavafy represents the road to death or the destination. In life, one can conquer any obstacle. This was portrayed in this poem. “Ithaka” was also used to explain that life should be lived to its fullest. The reader should get the experience to learn about foreign sensual learning. “Ithaka” provided its reader with an exciting and helpful story which had many moral lessons to be taught. The quote “It is not what an author states, but what he or she whispers that is important” really describes that the authors of both work of literature write more than what is on the paper. There is another story behind every book or