Directions: Read the poem below, and then write a paragraph in response to the question that follows, analyzing at least three pieces of evidence from the text to justify your answer.

Question

"Ithaka" by C. P. Cavafy

1 As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
5 angry Poseidon—don't be afraid of them:
you'll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and body.
10 Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won't encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
15 May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
20 mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

25 Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you're destined for.
But don't hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you're old by the time you reach the island,
30 wealthy with all you've gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

35 And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
Prompt: Why does the speaker tell Odysseus that they "hope [his] road is a long one"? written like a 8th grader and shirt

Answer 1

In C.P. Cavafy's poem "Ithaka," the speaker tells Odysseus that they "hope [his] road is a long one" because the journey itself is more important than the destination. First, the speaker emphasizes that the longer journey is "full of adventure, full of discovery" (lines 2-3), suggesting that experiences along the way are valuable for personal growth. Second, they mention the need to keep one's "thoughts raised high," indicating that a positive mindset is crucial for overcoming challenges, as the Laistrygonians and Cyclops represent the inner fears and struggles one might face (lines 8-10). Lastly, the speaker encourages enjoying "many summer mornings" and visiting new places, highlighting that the wealth gained from these experiences is what truly enriches life, not just reaching Ithaka (lines 15-20). Therefore, the speaker believes that a long journey allows for learning and joy, making the destination even more meaningful.