Odysseus' Fate Poem by Konstantin Nikolaevich Batiushkov

Odysseus' Fate

Rating: 2.7


Through horrors of land and horrors of sea
Bereft and wandering, Odysseus,
God-fearing wretch, sought Ithaca;
Unfaltering, he plunged into the gloom of Hades;
The roar of fierce Charybdis and underwater Scylla's groans
Shook not his noble soul.
His patience vanquished cruel fate, it seemed,
And to the dregs he'd drunk the bitter cup.
It seemed the heav'ns were done with testing him
And drove him softly, slumbering,
To homeland's longed-for cliffs.
He waked: what then? He did not know his home.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Danuta Glendenning 16 September 2006

A very touching poem showing us man's attempt to reach the golden gate of heaven, only to find that all endeavours has been in vain. There is heaven outside us.

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