Includes bibliographical references (pages 305-326).

In this work the author conveys the uniques delights of Homer's epics as she focuses on the crucial scenes, or moments, that mark the high pints of the narratives: Penelope and Odysseus meet for the first time in twenty years; young Telemachus boldly confronts the angry suitors; Achilles gives way to boundless grief at the death of Patroclus. The author demonstrates a way of reading Homer's poems that yields up their hidden treasures. With an alert eye for Homer's extraordinary visual effects and a keen ear for the musicality of his language, she helps the reader see the flickering campfires of the Greeks and hear the roar of the surf and the singing of nymphs. She takes readers beneath the captivating surface of the poems to explore the inner connections and layers of meaning that have made the epics "the marvel of the ages."--Jacket.