Question

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.

He saw the townlands
and learned the minds of many distant men,
and weathered many bitter nights and days
in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only
to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.

Which is the most effective paraphrase of this excerpt?

Odysseus traveled simply so that he could find his shipmates and bring them home safely.
Odysseus learned much and encountered many obstacles on his long journey to bring himself and his men home safely.
Odysseus was away from home for a long time and overcame many obstacles during his time at sea.
Odysseus and his shipmates spent many long and difficult days at sea during their travels home.

Answer 1

Which is the most effective paraphrase of this excerpt?

Odysseus learned much and encountered many obstacles on his long journey to bring himself and his men home safely.

Answer 2

The answer is option 2: Odysseus learned much and encountered many obstacles on his long journey to bring himself and his men home safely.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the author says: “and he learned the minds of many distant men”, he refers to the many new things Odysseus learned from people that lived far from him. When he writes: “and withered many bitter nights and days”, it means that Odysseus went through difficult situations that made their days bitter. Finally, when he says “to bring his shipmates home”, it is clear to see the objective of Odysseus, which was to bring himself and his men home safely.