Penelope brings out the great bow of Odysseus. Whoever strings it and shoots through twelve axes will marry her.
The Odyssey · C2
Book Twenty-One: The Bow
Gone are the days, to all intents, in lieu of, short of, much less, for want of, wont to, the upshot, not least and lo: C2 grammar for the contest that changes everything.
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SOPHIA
MARCOS
And the beggar?
The story
After Homer’s Odyssey
Gone were the days when anyone in Ithaca could string that bow. To all intents and purposes, it was impossible. One by one, the suitors tried, and failed, for want of strength. Short of melting it, they could do nothing with it, much less shoot.
Antinous, who was wont to boast, said they should wait until tomorrow. In lieu of the contest, they would feast. The upshot was that the beggar asked to try, and not least among the objectors was Antinous.
The beggar took the bow, turned it in his hands, and strung it as easily as a musician strings a lyre. He plucked the string, and it sang like a swallow. And lo, the arrow flew through all twelve axes.
Gone are the days; lo
PHILO
Gone were the days when anyone could string it. And lo, the arrow flew.
SOPHIA
A literary inversion: Gone are / were the days when…. lo = look! (archaic, dramatic).
To all intents; in lieu of; for want of; wont to
DEMETRIA
To all intents and purposes, impossible. In lieu of the contest. For want of strength. He was wont to boast.
SOPHIA
to all intents and purposes = in effect. in lieu of = instead of. for want of = because of a lack of. be wont to = usually.
Short of; much less; the upshot; not least
MARCOS
Short of melting it… they couldn’t string it, much less shoot. The upshot was… not least Antinous.
SOPHIA
short of + -ing = except by. much less after a negative = even less. the upshot = the result. not least = especially.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| Gone are the days when…; lo | literary inversion; archaic | Gone were the days… |
| to all intents and purposes; in lieu of | in effect; instead of | in lieu of the contest |
| for want of; be wont to | lack; habit | He was wont to boast. |
| short of; much less; the upshot; not least | except; even less; result; especially | much less shoot |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose
Choose the correct form.
1. ___ were the days when anyone could string it.
2. To all intents and ___, it was impossible.
3. They failed for ___ of strength.
4. In ___ of the contest, they feasted.
5. Antinous was ___ to boast.
6. They couldn’t string it, much ___ shoot.
B · Write
Write the missing word or words.
7. of melting it, they could do nothing. (except by)
8. The was that the beggar asked to try. (result)
9. Not among the objectors was Antinous.
10. And , the arrow flew through all twelve axes! (archaic: look)
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
11. “He was won’t to boast.”
12. “Gone are the days of heroes.”
13. “They couldn’t lift it, much more string it.”
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