Question

Reaching the gate, Odysseus and the forester

halted and stood outside, for harp notes came
around them rippling on the air
as Phemios picked out a song. Odysseus
caught his companion's arm and said:
"My friend,
here is the beautiful place—who could mistake it?”

In this excerpt, the harp’s music is a symbol of Odysseus’s

Aatience and endurance.
B:long journey back home.
C:reunion with old colleagues.
D:happiness upon returning home.

Answer 1

D:happiness upon returning home.

The gates Odysseus reaches are the ones to his home. He hears the harp as he stops his friend to revel in the sight of home. He even tells his friend "here is the beautiful place". While Odysseus did need patience and endurance for his long journey back home, at this point Odysseus is enjoyed the moment he has returned and nothing more. Also, he is priority is not reuniting with old colleagues. It is seeing his wife and son.

Answer 2

This excerpt probably should have included the verse following it, which is "Here is Odysseus' hall, no hall like this!" So they are standing at the gate at the home of Odysseus.

He has in fact made a long journey home, so B could be correct. The journey did require patience and endurance, so A could be correct. But I would go with D, happiness upon returning home.

A reasonable argument could be made for all of the above. Symbolism can be subjective, and each reader may interpret things differently.