Homer's Odyssey Voab

cunning (adj)

sly

burnished (adj)

polished; smooth and bright

discerning (adj)

having or showing good judgment; perceptive

odious (adj)

arousing intense displeasure

nymph (n)

nature goddess

scalloped (adj)

having a grooved or ridged border

resolve (n)

determination

rebuke (v)

to express sharp disapproval; to criticize

battalion (n)

army unit

reveries (n)

daydreams

indignant (adj)

insulted and angered

intricately (adv)

complexly

swagger (v)

to walk in a confident and arrogant way

zither (n)

flat stringed musical instrument

prophesy (v)

to predict

dismal (adj)

depressing; dreary

mangy (adj)

filthy, squalid

dowry (n)

property a bride brings to her marriage

barrow (n)

mound of earth over a burial site

shrewd (adj)

clever

enraptured (adj)

filled with delight

requital (n)

something given in return

summon (v)

to call forth

fleece (n)

the wooly covering of a sheep or goat

Epic Poem

A long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds

Epic Hero

a larger-than-life figure who undertakes great journeys and performs deeds requiring remarkable strength and cunning

Invocation of the Muse

the poet invokes, or appeals, to a muse to ask for inspiration and a blessing

Dramatic Irony

occurs when the audience or the reader knows something important that a character in a play or story does not know

Epic Simile

A simile developed over several lines of verse, esp. one used in an epic poem.

Epithet

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned. e.g: Athena, the owl-eyed goddess

kleos (n)

Greek word for 'glory' or 'renown'; the hero earns kleos through great deeds

Nostos (n)

Greek word for 'return'; the story of a hero's return

Xenia (n)

Greek word for 'hospitality'