The dialogue between Odysseus and Calypso in Od. V 201-224 is one of the most significant episodes of the Odyssey since it seals the hero’s decision to give up immortal life in Ogygia for the νόστος. Based on a broader study of the semantic, syntactic and morphological features of the verb in the Homeric poems, the analysis of the use of ἔλδομαι in both Calypso’s and in the hero’s speeches shows how the repetition of this same word in variatio can be pivotal for the interpretation of the dialogue itself.