Story of Acis, Polyphemus, and Galatea explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Love and Desire

  Polyphemus's unrequited love for Galatea and Galatea's love for Acis drive the narrative.

• Violence and Revenge

  Polyphemus kills Acis in a jealous rage, crushing him with a rock.

• Transformation and Metamorphosis

  Acis is transformed into a river god after his death.

Characters to notice

• Galatea

  Sea nymph who loves Acis and is pursued by Polyphemus; she transforms Acis into a river after his death.

• Polyphemus

  Cyclops who passionately loves Galatea and kills Acis out of jealousy.

• Acis

  Shepherd loved by Galatea; killed by Polyphemus and transformed into a river.

• Ulysses

  Mentioned in Telemus's prophecy about blinding Polyphemus.

• Jove

  Referenced by Polyphemus as a comparison for his own size and power.

Key passages

• “Acis, the lovely youth, whose loss I mourn, From Faunus, and the nymph Symethis, born, Was both his parents’ pleasure, but to me, Was all that love could make a lover be.”

  Acis, the beautiful young man I grieve for, was the son of Faunus and the nymph Symethis. He was a joy to his parents, but to me he was everything love could make a lover.

  Galatea introduces Acis and her love for him.

• “The cyclop, who defied the ethereal throne, And thought no thunder louder than his own, The terror of the woods, and wilder far Than wolves in plains, or bears in forests, are, The inhuman host, who made his bloody feasts On mangled members of his butcher’d guests, Yet felt the force of love, and fierce desire, And burn’d for me with unrelenting fire”

  Polyphemus, who defied the gods and thought his own roar louder than thunder, a terror of the woods wilder than wolves or bears, who feasted on the flesh of his victims, still felt the power of love and burned with desire for me.

  Galatea describes Polyphemus's savage nature and his love for her.

• “The prophet Telemus (arrived by chance Where Aetna’s summits to the seas advance, Who mark’d the tracks of every bird that flew, And sure presages from their flying drew) Foretold the cyclop that Ulysses hand In his broad eye should thrust a flaming brand.”

  The prophet Telemus, who happened to be near Mount Aetna and interpreted bird flights, predicted that Ulysses would thrust a burning brand into Polyphemus's eye.

  Telemus's prophecy about Ulysses blinding Polyphemus.

• “The giant, with a scornful grin, replied, ‘Vain augur, thou hast falsely prophesied; Already love his flaming brand has toss’d, Looking on two fair eyes my sight I lost.’”

  The giant sneered and said, 'False prophet, you are wrong; love has already thrown its flaming brand at me, and I lost my sight when I looked at two beautiful eyes.'

  Polyphemus dismisses Telemus's prophecy, claiming love has already blinded him.

• “Straight issued from the stone a stream of blood, Which lost the purple, mingling with the flood: Then like a double torrent it appear'd, The torrent too, in little space was clear'd The stone was cleft and through the yawning chink New reeds arose on the new river’s brink.”

  Immediately a stream of blood flowed from the stone, which then turned clear as it mixed with the water. It became like a double torrent, and soon the stone split open, and new reeds grew along the riverbank.

  The transformation of Acis's blood into a river.

• “The rock, from out its hollow womb, disclosed A sound like water in its course opposed, When, wondrous to behold! full in the flood, Up starts a youth, and navel-high he stood; Horns from his temples rise, and either horn Thick wreaths of reeds (his native growth) adorn.”

  The rock made a sound like rushing water, and then, amazingly, a youth rose from the flood up to his navel, with horns on his temples adorned with reeds.

  Acis emerges as a river god.