Connecting Device to Meaning

“Ithaka” by Constantine Cavafy

Using the annotation guide below, record your insights and observations to the poem “Ithaka,” a poem by Constantine Cavafy based on the ancient epic The by . ​ ​ Activity 1—Vocabulary: List all words unknown to you, and then define them with more accessible synonyms. Next, ​ ​ ​ go back through the poem and read the text with the synonyms in place to deepen your comprehension. (Save the mythological terms for the fourth activity.)

Word Part of Definition Synonym Speech

harbors noun a part of a body of water along the shore deep port enough for anchoring a ship...to provide protection from winds, waves, and currents.

mother of pearl noun a hard, iridescent substance that forms the inner pearl layer of certain mollusk shells, used for making buttons, beads, etc.

coral noun the hard, variously colored, skeleton secreted by valuable gemstone certain marine polyps.

amber noun a pale yellow, sometimes reddish or brownish, valuable gemstone fossil resin of vegetable origin, translucent, brittle: used for making jewelry and other ornamental articles.

ebony noun a hard, heavy, durable wood, most highly prized valuable wood when black, from various tropical trees used for cabinetwork, ornamental objects, etc.

scholars noun a learned or erudite person, especially one who person of learning has profound knowledge of a particular subject.

Grade 9:

Activity 2—Connotative Diction: Determine the meanings of words or phrases with figurative or connotative ​ ​ ​ meanings used in the text. Do the words bring to mind positive or negative feelings? What more specific emotions do the words suggest?

Positive Negative

hope angry adventure wild Poseidon thoughts raised high poor rare excitement stirs your spirit summer morning pleasure joy fine things stores of knowledge lasts for years marvelous journey full of experience

Activity Three—Objective Summary: Write an objective summary of the poem. ​ ​ ​

​The narrator is giving advice to someone beginning a journey. The narrator says that the traveler will not encounter obstacles unless the traveler brings them upon himself. The narrator then previews some of the advantages of a journey: seeing places for the first time, buying precious gifts, and learning from educated people of experience. To conclude, the narrator urges the journeyman to not rush the process but instead to learn all that he can along the way.

Grade 9: The Odyssey

Activity Four—Literary Devices: Identify the allusions in the poem. Using an online resource or mythology collection, ​ ​ ​ write an explanation of these allusions in the right hand margin.

Allusion Explanation of Allusion

Laestrygonians legendary clan of cannibals (Fagles 532).

Cyclops one-eyed giant

Poseidon god of the sea, son of Cronus and Rhea, younger brother of , father of , throughout ​The Odyssey​ an...enemy of (Fagles 538). Ithaka the home of Odysseus

Activity Five—Point of View: What types of pronouns do you see? What is the point of view that the author employs? ​ ​ ​ Using the tone resource, determine what the speaker’s attitude toward the subject seems to be.

The poem is written in second person (you, your). The narrator employs a reflective and instructive tone.

Activity Six—Symbolism: What does the city of Ithaka seem to symbolize in this poem? ​ ​ ​ Ithaca, the home town of Odysseus, is a symbol for a highly desired object that drives behavior and action. Even though Odysseus is trying to get home throughout the epic, this poem suggests that a person learns more from the journey than in reaching the destination.

Grade 9: The Odyssey