Ithaka

The narrator tells the traveler that what is important is not Ithaka, , it was...

• the journey itself

• the defeat of the Cyclops and the Laistrygonians

• his determination to see his wife

• The joy of defeating Poseidon

The poet suggests that _________ may be disappointing.

• defeatingf his rivals

• the end goal

• the struggle along the way

• his life

In stanza one, to whom could the poet be addressing?

• ithaka

• Poseidon

• any reader of the poem

• Polyphemus

Odysseus's journey was a long and difficult one. How long was it before he could rejoin his wife Penelope in Ithaka?

• 20 years

• 15 years

• 10 years

• 25 years

Why does the poet say, If the traveler keeps his thoughts "raised high" he will never encounter any challenge resembling those monsters?

• He won't have time to think about monsters.

• He will never have to loose sleep worrying about fighting the monsters.

• It is always necessary to be optimistic and hopeful

In stanza three, the poet says the traveler must always keep Ithaka in mind because it is the final destination; however do not hurry the journey. What does he mean?

• It is better that the traveler is old by the time he reaches home.

• It is better for the traveler to be wealthy from all the knowledge and experience he has accumulated/gained on his travels.

• He will not expect Ithaka to make him rich.

• Don't rush the journey; you may find a new life along the way.

Odysseus always longed for home and did not enjoy his long journey. What happened when he finally reached Ithaka?

• The city has lost it's charm for him.

• He finds less pleasure in being there then what he had hoped for and imagined.

• He begins a new journey.

• He finds that his wife, Penelope has gone away.

The poet emphasizes that if the traveler, having arrived home in Ithaka, finds it to be a poor place, it does not mean that Ithaka has been deceptive. What does it mean?

• The traveler has not been fooled because he will have become wise and full of experience.

• He will know what is meant by Ithaka, and by all destinations--all Ithakas--that people strive to reach.

• He will have learned that the prize is all in the experience.

• He will know that ther is no such thing as Ithaka.

Which of the following is the best theme for the poem, "Ithaka?"

• Forget about Ithaka, the journey is most important.

• It is better to journey than to arrive.

• The arrival is worth far more that the journal

• Keep your eyes set on the goal; it will help you through the journey.

What is the poet's recipe for enjoying the journey that involves the cultivation of a certain habit of mind?

• The whole person--body, mind, spirit, even soul--must be be fully engaged in the life it is living.

• A person must keep his or her "thoughts raised high."

• The mind must not give in to melancholy or disappointment.

• Art may lead the mind to the higher levels of the human spirit, rather than allowing it to sink to the depths of which it is capable.