Why Odysseus Set Sail on a Raft

As a child, the writer could not understand why Odysseus rejected Calypso’s offer of immortality and youth. Why leave a paradise and set out to sea?

Now, looking at vivid red roses among flowers that have withered and faded, the writer sees the choice differently. Beauty shines within mortal existence, and its force comes from the fact that it will eventually disappear.

Life, too, feels precious because it is destined to end. With age and greater understanding, the writer says, Odysseus’ decision to leave paradise and face the sea has become easier to understand.