Homer

I don't have good notes on either The Odyssey or the Iliad, but I would suggest looking at the wikipedia pages here and here. 

Remember: you're not going to need to know about the historical contexts of these poems -- just the plot synopses and major characters.  You will also need to know that both poems begin in media res, meaning "in the middle of things."

Also, you will need to know that both poems are written in dactylic hexameter.