What is the literal meaning of the simile in the following lines from The Odyssey?
"but Cyclops went on filling up his belly with manflesh and great gulps of whey, then lay down like a mast among his sheep."
The simile in the given lines from The Odyssey compares the Cyclops to a mast among his sheep. To understand the literal meaning of this simile, we need to break it down into its components.
1. Cyclops: Refers to the one-eyed giant encountered by Odysseus and his men in their journey. In Greek mythology, Cyclops were a race of giants with a single eye in the middle of their forehead.
2. Filling up his belly with manflesh: This phrase suggests that the Cyclops is happily devouring the flesh of men. In the context of the story, the Cyclops has already eaten some of Odysseus' crew members.
3. Great gulps of whey: Whey is the watery part of milk that separates from the curds during cheese-making. Here, the imagery suggests that the Cyclops is consuming large quantities of whey along with manflesh.
4. Lay down like a mast among his sheep: The simile concludes by comparing the Cyclops to a mast among his sheep. A mast is a tall vertical post found on ships, which typically supports sails. In this context, it means that the Cyclops is lying down among his flock of sheep, towering over them.
Therefore, the literal meaning of this simile is that after his meal, the Cyclops rests among his sheep like a tall mast, exuding a sense of dominance and power.