Question

now from his breast into his eyes the ache
of longing mounted, and he wept at last,
his dear wife, clear and faithful, in his arms,
longed for
as the sunwarmed earth is longed for by a swimmer
spent in rough water where his ship went down
under poseidon’s blows, gale winds and tons of sea.
few men can keep alive through a big surf
to crawl, clotted with brine, on kindly beaches
in joy, in joy, knowing the abyss behind (436).

1. type of figurative language

the author is comparing the way odysseus
to the way
this comparison illustrates the
odysseus because

Explanation:

1. Type of figurative language: The phrase "as the sunwarmed earth is longed for by a swimmer" uses "as" to make a comparison, so it's a simile.
2. What Odysseus is compared to: The author compares Odysseus's longing for his wife to a swimmer's longing for the sun - warmed earth (after being in rough waters).
3. What the comparison illustrates: The comparison illustrates the intensity of Odysseus's longing for his wife, Penelope. Just as a swimmer who has struggled in rough water longs for the safety and comfort of the sun - warmed earth, Odysseus, who has endured hardships (under Poseidon's blows, gale winds, etc.), longs for his dear, faithful wife.
4. Why for Odysseus: For Odysseus, his wife represents home, safety, and the end of his long and arduous journey. The comparison shows how deeply he yearns for that sense of home and normalcy after his trials at sea.

Answer:

• Type of figurative language: Simile
• The author is comparing the way Odysseus longs for his wife to the way a swimmer longs for the sunwarmed earth.
• This comparison illustrates the intense longing Odysseus has for his wife, Penelope.
• Odysseus because he has endured great hardships at sea (under Poseidon’s blows, gale winds, etc.) and his wife represents home, safety, and the end of his arduous journey, just as the sunwarmed earth represents safety and relief for the swimmer who has struggled in rough water.