He also makes a point to say that the Cyclops has no wine in his diet, only cheeses and milk from the goats (possibly eating the goats as well), so he would probably get drunk quicker and easier and would like the taste more.
Another way he gives the story that extra bit of edge which makes it one of the most exciting in The Odyssey, is by using excellent, and sometimes gory and graphic imagery. Some examples of his use of this are “their brains ran out on the ground”, “great wall of quarried oaks” and “The ships were in a thick fog, and overhead not a gleam of light came through from the moon”. These give you a vivid sense of what the characters are seeing and really set the scene for the story in a powerful way.
Homer also uses a lot of similes, not always in obvious ways, but enough to give you even further insight into the myth so you can compare the unreal things to more familiar things and understand just how bewildering these aspects of the story are.
“It was a mighty slab; twenty-two four-wheeled wagons could not shift such a massive stone from the entrance, such was the monstrous size of the rock with which he closed the cave” is a nice subtle simile, but you can really picture how enormous the slab must actually be as you can now compare to a real-life situation. A few other good similes he uses are “devoured like a mountain lion”, “dashed their heads against the floor like they had been puppies” and “like a man boring a ship’s timber with a drill which his mates below him twirl with a strap they hold at either end”, all giving us a great description and creating an intense picture in our minds.
Another excellent device Homer uses is actually using the story in itself to show you more of Odysseus’ character as it progresses and so you can uncover his personality by his actions and words as well as descriptions of him. You get to know about his great ingenuity because of the extraordinary and very successful plan to escape the Cyclops’ cave, and you get to know about his extreme wit and strength to come up with such a plan. You also get to know about his bravery and courage to explore the island and go into the cave, and his accurate and precise instinct to know when things aren’t quite right.
All in all, Homer tells the story of the Cyclops in a tremendous way which really captivates you and gives you a real sense of the story happening, making you want to turn the page to see what happens next.
