Question

Homer's Epic Poem -- THE ODYSSEY
Who is the speaker of this poem?

we do not know.

Odysseus (Ulysses)
an old sailor
Homer (the author)

Answer 1

With storms of whistlings then his flock he drave 435
Up to the mountains; and occasion gave
For me to use my wits, which to their height
I strived to screw up, that a vengeance might
By some means fall from thence, and Pallas now
Afford a full ear to my neediest vow. 440
This then my thoughts preferr'd: A huge club lay
Close by his milk-house, which was now in way
To dry and season, being an olive-tree
Which late he fell'd, and, being green, must be
Made lighter for his manage. 'Twas so vast, 445
That we resembled it to some fit mast,
To serve a ship of burthen that was driven
With twenty oars, and had a bigness given
To bear a huge sea. Full so thick, so tall,
We judg'd this club; which I, in part, hew'd small, 450
And cut a fathom off. The piece I gave
Amongst my soldiers, to take down, and shave;
Which done, I sharpen'd it at top, and then,
Harden'd in fire, I hid it in the den
Within a nasty dunghill reeking there, 455
Thick, and so moist it issued everywhere.
Then made I lots cast by my friends to try
Whose fortune served to dare the bored out eye
Of that man-eater; and the lot did fall
On four I wish'd to make my aid of all, 460
And I the fifth made, chosen like the rest.
Then came the even, and he came from the feast
Of his fat cattle, drave in all, nor kept
One male abroad; if, or his memory slept
By God's direct will, or of purpose was 465
His driving in of all then, doth surpass
My comprehension. But he closed again
The mighty bar, milk'd, and did still maintain
All other observation as before.
His work all done, two of my soldiers more 470
At once he snatch'd up, and to supper went.
Then dared I words to him, and did present
A bowl of wine, with these words: 'Cyclop! take
A bowl of wine, from my hand, that may make
Way for the man's flesh thou hast eat, and show 475
What drink our ship held; which in sacred vow
I offer to thee to take pity on me
On my way home. Thy rages be
Now no more sufferable. How shall men,
Mad and inhuman that thou art, again 480
Greet thy abode, and get thy actions grace,
If thus thou ragest, and eat'st up their race.'
He took, and drunk, and vehemently joy'd
To taste the sweet cup; and again employ'd
My flagon's powers, entreating more, and said: 485
'Good guest, again afford my taste thy aid,
And let me know thy name, and quickly now,
That in thy recompense I may bestow
A hospitable gift on thy desert,
And such a one as shall rejoice thy heart. 490
For to the Cyclops too the gentle earth
Bears generous wine, and Jove augments her birth,
In store of such, with showers; but this rich wine
Fell from the river, that is mere divine,
Of nectar and ambrosia.' This again 495
I gave him, and again; nor could the fool abstain,
But drunk as often. When the noble juice
Had wrought upon his spirit, I then gave use
To fairer language, saying: 'Cyclop! now,
As thou demand'st, I'll tell thee my name, do thou 500
Make good thy hospitable gift to me.
My name is No-Man; No-Man each degree
Of friends, as well as parents, call my name.'
He answer'd, as his cruel soul became:
'No-Man! I'll eat thee last of all thy friends; 505
And this is that in which so much amends
I vow'd to thy deservings, thus shall be
My hospitable gift made good to thee.'
This said, he upwards fell, but then bent round
His fleshy neck; and Sleep, with all crowns crown'd, 510
Subdued the savage. From his throat brake out
My wine, with man's flesh gobbets, like a spout,
When, loaded with his cups, he lay and snored;
And then took I the club's end up, and gored
The burning coal-heap, that the point might heat; 515
Confirm'd my fellow's minds, lest Fear should let
Their vow'd assay, and make them fly my aid.
Straight was the olive-lever, I had laid
Amidst the huge fire to get hardening, hot,
And glow'd extremely, though 'twas green; which got 520
From forth the cinders, close about me stood
My hardy friends; but that which did the good
Was God's good inspiration, that gave
A spirit beyond the spirit they used to have;
Who took the olive spar, made keen before, 525
And plunged it in his eye, and up I bore,
Bent to the top close, and help'd pour it in,
With all my forces. And as you have seen
A ship-wright bore a naval beam, he oft
Thrusts at the auger's froofe, works still aloft, 530
And at the shank help others, with a cord
Wound round about to make it sooner bored,
All plying the round still; so into his eye
The fiery stake we labour'd to imply.
Out gush'd the blood that scalded, his eye-ball 535
Thrust out a flaming vapour, that scorch'd all
His brows and eye-lids, his eye-strings did crack,
As in the sharp and burning rafter brake.
And as a smith to harden any tool,
Broad axe, or mattock, in his trough doth cool 540
The red-hot substance, that so fervent is
It makes the cold wave straight to seethe and hiss;
So sod and hiss'd his eye about the stake.
He roar'd withal, and all his cavern brake
In claps like thunder. We did frighted fly, 545
Dispers'd in corners. He from forth his eye
The fixed stake pluck'd; after which the blood
Flow'd freshly forth; and, mad, he hurl'd the wood
About his hovel. Out he then did cry
For other Cyclops, that in caverns by 550
Upon a windy promontory dwell'd;
Who, hearing how impetuously he yell'd,
Rush'd every way about him, and inquired,
What ill afflicted him, that he expired Such horrid clamours, and in sacred Night 555
To break their sleeps so? Ask'd him, if his fright
Came from some mortal that his flocks had driven?
Or if by craft, or might, his death were given?
He answer'd from his den: 'By craft, nor might,
No-Man hath given me death.' They then said right, 560
If no man hurt thee, and thyself alone,
That which is done to thee by Jove is done;
And what great Jove inflicts no man can fly.
Pray to thy Father yet, a Deity,
And prove, from him if thou canst help acquire.' 565
Thus spake they, leaving him; when all on fire
My heart with joy was, that so well my wit
And name deceived him; whom now pain did split,
And groaning up and down he groping tried
To find the stone, which found, he put aside; 570
But in the door sat, feeling if he could
(As his sheep issued) on some man lay hold;
Esteeming me a fool, that could devise
No stratagem to 'scape his gross surprise.
But I, contending what I could invent 575
My friends and me from death so eminent
To get deliver'd, all my wiles I wove
(Life being the subject) and did this approve:
Fat fleecy rams, most fair, and great, lay there,
That did a burden like a violet bear. 580
These, while this learn'd-in-villany did sleep,
I yoked with osiers cut there, sheep to sheep,
Three in a rank, and still the mid sheep bore
A man about his belly, the two more
March'd on his each side for defense. I then, 585
Choosing myself the fairest of the den,
His fleecy belly under-crept, embrac'd
His back, and in his rich wool wrapt me fast
With both my hands, arm'd with as fast a mind.
And thus each man hung, till the morning shin'd; 590
Which come, he knew the hour, and let abroad
His male-flocks first, the females unmilk'd stood
Bleating and braying, their full bags so sore
With being unemptied, but their shepherd more
With being unsighted; which was cause his mind 595
Went not a milking. He, to wreak inclin'd,
The backs felt, as they pass'd, of those male dams,
Gross fool! believing, we would ride his rams!
Nor ever knew that any of them bore
Upon his belly any man before. 600
The last ram came to pass him, with his wool
And me together loaded to the full,
For there did I hang; and that ram he stay'd,
And me withal had in his hands, my head
Troubled the while, not causelessly, nor least. 605
This ram he groped, and talk'd to: 'Lazy beast!
Why last art thou now? Thou hast never used
To lag thus hindmost, but still first hast bruised
The tender blossom of a flower, and held
State in thy steps, both to the flood and field, 610
First still at fold at even, now last remain?
Dost thou not wish I had mine eye again,
Which that abhorr'd man No-Man did put out,
Assisted by his execrable rout,
When he had wrought me down with wine? But he 615
Must not escape my wreak so cunningly.
I would to heaven thou knew'st, and could but speak,
To tell me where he lurks now! I would break
His brain about my cave, strew'd here and there,
To ease my heart of those foul ills, that were 620
Th' inflictions of a man I prized at nought.'
Thus let he him abroad; when I, once brought
A little from his hold, myself first losed,
And next my friends. Then drave we, and disposed,
His straight-legg'd fat fleece-bearers over land, 625
Even till they all were in my ship's command;
And to our loved friends show'd our pray'd-for sight,
Escaped from death. But, for our loss outright
They brake in tears; which with a look I stay'd,
And bade them take our boot in. They obey'd, 630
And up we all went, sat, and used our oars.
But having left as far the savage shores
As one might hear a voice, we then might see
The Cyclop at the haven; when instantly
I stay'd our oars, and this insultance used: 635
'Cyclop! thou shouldst not have so much abused
Thy monstrous forces, to oppose their least
Against a man immartial, and a guest,
And eat his fellows. Thou mightst know there were
Some ills behind, rude swain, for thee to bear, 640
That fear'd not to devour thy guests, and break
All laws of humans. Jove sends therefore wreak,
And all the Gods, by me.' This blew the more
His burning fury; when the top he tore
From off a huge rock, and so right a throw 645
Made at our ship, that just before the prow
It overflew and fell, miss'd mast and all
Exceeding little; but about the fall
So fierce a wave it raised, that back it bore
Our ship so far, it almost touch'd the shore. 650
A bead-hook then, a far-extended one,
I snatch'd up, thrust hard, and so set us gone
Some little way; and straight commanded all
To help me with their oars, on pain to fall
Again on our confusion. But a sign 655
I with my head made, and their oars were mine
In all performance. When we off were set,
(Then first, twice further) my heart was so great,
It would again provoke him, but my men
On all sides rush'd about me, to contain, 660
And said: 'Unhappy! why will you provoke
A man so rude, that with so dead a stroke,
Given with his rock-dart, made the sea thrust back
Our ship so far, and near hand forced our wrack?
Should he again but hear your voice resound, 665
And any word reach, thereby would be found
His dart's direction, which would, in his fall,
Crush piece-meal us, quite split our ship and all;
So much dart wields the monster.' Thus urged they
Impossible things, in fear; but I gave way 670
To that wrath which so long I held depress'd,
By great necessity conquer'd, in my breast:
'Cyclop! if any ask thee, who imposed
Th' unsightly blemish that thine eye enclosed,
Say that Ulysses, old Laertes' son, 675
Whose seat is Ithaca, and who hath won
Surname of city-racer, bored it out.'

Answer 2

I've read and read this over and over and I can't figure it out. :/