The Odyssey is the story of the adventures of Odysseus. The epic tale begins with the end of the Trojan War. Victorious Odysseus plans his trip back to Ithaca (Greece) and to his family. Before he leaves Troy, Odysseus incurs the wrath of the great and powerful Poseidon, the god of the sea, who is determined that neither Odysseus nor his men will ever see their homeland again.
Homer wrote this epic tale more than 2,500 years ago. Amazingly, The Odyssey not only survives today but flourishes as it is retold again and again through oral and written forms and through drama and film.
The lasting power of The Odyssey is due to the universal themes of courage, love, loyalty, and the self determination of a human in the face of natural and supernatural forces. The beauty of The Odyssey is also found in its structure and language. In this project you will create your own verse of epic poetry using an online outline and example. You will also create a poem about The Odyssey.
You will learn about and practice some of the literary techniques Homer
used to create The Odyssey. Check the table below for practice creating
verse and for creating an online poem about The Odyssey or one of
the characters of The Odyssey.
| POEM PAGE | Create a five line poem using the instructions at this website. The topic for your poem will be on an aspect of The Odyssey. Topics could include an event, character, theme, or Greek life. Print a copy of the poem for the teacher and publish the poem on the internet. |
| EPIC VERSE | Create a verse of epic poetry using the outline found on this website. The topic for your poem will be on an aspect of The Odyssey. Topics could include an event, character, theme, or Greek life. You will need to write the poem on a sheet of paper following the website instructions. |
