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Similes
Book 10
Explanation and Analysis—Elpenor's Death:
In a darkly ironic passage, a member of Odysseus's crew dies under embarrassing and mundane circumstances:
There was a man, Elpenor [...]
He’d strayed from his mates in Circe’s magic halls
and keen for the cool night air,
sodden with wine he’d bedded down on her roofs.
But roused by the shouts and tread of marching men,
he leapt up with a start at dawn but still so dazed
he forgot to climb back down again by the long ladder —
headfirst from the roof he plunged, his neck snapped
from the backbone, his soul flew down to Death.
The youngest member of Odysseus's crew, Elpenor is neither particularly strong nor brave, but he has survived numerous dangerous trials during their return voyage to Ithaca. After Odysseus secures the release of his men from the magical Circe, his men enjoy a rare moment of peace and security that proves, ironically, more dangerous to Elpenor than any dangerous enemy or fierce battle. He breaks his neck after falling asleep on the roofs of "Circe's magic halls" while drunk and falling off in the morning. This ironic scene contrasts the incredible odds that Odysseus and his men have overcome with the mundane nature of Elpenor's death. Further, Elpenor dies right before Odysseus and his men make a journey to the underworld, only narrowly beating his former companions to Hades.
