The Expanse (symbol and motif)
"On First Looking to Chapman's Homer" contains three nods to an "expanse," or a wide, seemingly endless, territory. First, the speaker mentions the epic universe of Homer's domain. Then, the first metaphor used to describe the impact of Chapman's translation—"I felt like some watcher of the skies/ When a new planet swims into his ken"— evokes an image of the night sky, suddenly brighter from a new planet in its orbit. Finally, the second metaphor in which the speaker likens himself to Cortez, a Spanish explorer, staring across the open sea. The expanse is associated with the speaker's sense of wonder and discovery: Chapman's Homer broadens the scope of Homer's already-wide epic world, while also expanding the speaker's knowledge of Homer's work.
Vision (motif)
"On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" is visionary in nature: the sonnet emphasizes things seen, while evoking the vibrant imagery of golden realms, kingdoms, oceans, and mountains. The speaker has "seen" states, kingdoms, and islands through Homer's verse; he also feels like an astronomer who suddenly sees a new planet, or Cortez as he stares down the Pacific. The poem is also about the evolution in the speaker's perspective on Homer's world as he encounters Chapman's translations. Likewise, vision is associated with new discoveries: the speaker sees what he has imagined in previous readings with new eyes, in a new light.
