Essay On Poem Comparison Odysseus And Penelope

In W.S. Merwin’s poem “Odysseus,” we hear about Odysseus’ point of view, as he journeys out into the sea and thinks of home. Odysseus is weary from his journeys, and feels like he is not getting anywhere “but older.” No matter where he goes, what he does, his situation remains the same, and so he opines on the futility of his life and journey. He also seemingly has a great deal of trouble remembering what happened in the past, as he does not know the difference anymore between the “one who wished on his departure / Perils that he could never sail through” or the one “he kept sailing home to”. That person (presumably Penelope) could be one and the same; therefore, Odysseus is beginning to let the journey itself wear him down and he questions the validity of his destination. This is emphasized in Merwin using quotation marks to denote “home,” the only time this punctuation is used in the poem. Interestingly enough, the word is no longer quoted when it is repeated at the end of the poem, perhaps to give an inkling of peace that could be lying on the horizon for Odysseus.
Merwin’s use of repetition in the poem also reflects Odysseus’ growing malaise and apathy – in the passage ‘whether he stayed / Or went. Therefore he went,” Merwin betrays a certain joylessness in Odysseus, as the repetition of that phrase denotes his weariness at the same things always happening to him. The word ‘same’ also repeats itself many times in the first two lines of the poem, and throughout.
This poem showcases an Odysseus that is tired of his journeys, if only because he cannot remember where he came from or where he is going. Each experience is far too similar to differentiate themselves in his mind, and he simply wants a change, to sail home. Until that happens, he believes that the cycle will simply continue.
In Dorothy Parker’s poem “Penelope,” we see a much more idealistic picture of Odysseus’ journey from his wife. The language is overall positive, as she imagines him carrying out amazing deeds and performing heroic acts. His environment is much more positive as well, as he would stand “in the pathway of the sun / In the footsteps of the breeze,” the same environment that Odysseus calls “receding” and “unraveling.” The seas, to Penelope, are “silver,” and the waves are “glittering,” an impression that the Odysseus poem does not convey in the least. She still has an idealism, a naivete about her husband’s journeys that he no longer shares due to his own malaise and cynicism. Unlike Odysseus’ poem, “Penelope” is written in the first person, so we get a much more reliable idea of how she is feeling about this situation. Whether it is self-delusion or her actual opinion is debatable, but either way, she wants to think of herself as being an idealistic woman waiting for her husband to come back.
Parker’s use of repetition is also used to portray the opposite effect than in “Odysseus,” as she imagines all of the great things that the both of them will do. The world ‘shall’ is used hopefully and respectfully; Odysseus “shall” do amazing things, and she “shall” perform her noble wifely duty by waiting for him at home.
Despite all of this positivity, there is an innate irony in the final line, “they will call him brave.” This line is used to imply that, despite his overtly heroic actions and journeys leading him to recognition and fame for his bravery, Penelope is being just as brave as he. The mere act of waiting for him tirelessly, going about the chores of the day – “Brew my tea, and snip my thread; / Bleach the linen for my bed” – allows her to be just as courageous and patient as Odysseus, if not more so.
There are quite a few similarities and differences between the two characters in these poems. The two poems both show their own level of introspection, as they look at their lives and how they must behave and carry on. Odysseus and Penelope are both forced to be without each other, and it changes them in unexpected ways. They are both on their own odysseys in these poems, and Penelope is far more content with hers than Odysseus is with his. Penelope cannot wait for Odysseus to get back; meanwhile, Odysseus is even questioning the existence or validity of “home.” He has forgotten what it was like to live the way he did before, while Penelope can never forget, and pines for that to be her life once more. Odysseus’ adventures are starting to wear him down, while Penelope remains true and vigilant, perhaps proving the irony of her last line in the Penelope poem.