“An Ancient Gesture” Edna St. Vincent Millay

Background In The Odyssey Odysseus is celebrated for courage, adventure, spirit, and guile Penelope is noted as being loyal and patient— qualities people historically credit to women But she is also clever Holding off suitors and testing Odysseus’ identity Edna St. Vincent Millay asks what both characters reveal about heroism and suffering in “An Ancient Gesture”

About the Poem In “An Ancient Gesture” Edna St. Vincent Millay echoes the sorrow of Penelope with the gesture of a modern woman, suggesting that enduring grief and loneliness is itself heroic.

Critical Thinking Questions What is the “ancient gesture”? Wiping her tears with her apron According to speaker, what caused Penelope to employ this gesture? She thought her husband was probably dead Why might the speaker have made a similar gesture? Her husband had also been gone for years

Critical Thinking Questions According to the speaker, who else made this ancient gesture (besides Penelope)? Ulysses? Latin name for Odysseus How did this gesture differ from Penelope’s? His was to sway a crowd What do the different qualities of their gestures show about these characters? Penelope and the speaker are sincere. Ulysses is faking.

Critical Thinking Questions What questions about the speaker are left unanswered? The reader does not know why the husband left, where he is, or if he is alive What effect do these unanswered questions create? Sad mystery

Critical Thinking Questions According to this interpretation (his insincerity), does Odysseus live up to his responsibility as a husband? He does not live up because he pretends to care. His tears are not genuine Who do you think the author felt was the hero in the odyssey—Penelope or Odysseus? Penelope is the author’s hero because she was sincere in her sadness.