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Homeric Simile
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Homeric Simile
The Olive Branch
The Homeric Smile
In this Homeric simile, the once green olive tree branch was been driven into the embers of a fire. Now, glowing and red hot as if it was about to catch on fire, Odysseus will stab Polyphemus in his eye.
Personification
The Stabbing of the Eye
"Now, by the gods drove my big hand spike deep in the embers, charring it again, and cheered my men along with battle talk to keep their courage up: no quitting now. The pike of olive, green though it had been, reddened and glowed as if bout to catch. I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Kyklops as more than a natural force nerved them : straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye, and i leaned on it turning it as a shipwright turned a drill in planking, haveing men below to swing the two handled strap that spins it in the groove. So with our brand we bored that great eye socket while blood ran out around the red hot bar. Eyelid and lash were seared: the pierced ball hissed broiling and the roots popped." (IX, 406-423)
This Homeric simile also has personification intertwined within it. Once Odysseus has stabbed Polyphemus's eye, he says that "the pierced ball hissed". Polyphemus's eyeball is given the human quality of being able to hiss.
When Odysseus stabs Polyphemus in the eye, he not only uses force to stab him, but he turns the already red hot staff in the same way that ancient ships were steered; he spins the staff into the groove of Polyphemus's eye.