Ulysses Analysis

It little profits that an idle king,

By this still hearth, among these barren crags,

Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole

Unequal laws unto a savage race,

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

I cannot rest from travel; I will drink

Life to the lees.All times I have enjoy'd

Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those

That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when

Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades

Vext the dim sea.I am become a name;

For always roaming with a hungry heart

Much have I seen and known,-- cities of men

And manners, climates, councils, governments,

Myself not least, but honor'd of them all,--

And drunk delight of battle with my peers,

Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'

Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades

For ever and for ever when I move.

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!

As tho' to breathe were life!Life piled on life

Were all too little, and of one to me

Little remains; but every hour is saved

>From that eternal silence, something more,

A bringer of new things; and vile it were

For some three suns to store and hoard myself,

And this gray spirit yearning in desire

To follow knowledge like a sinking star,

Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

This is my son, mine own Telemachus,

to whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,--

Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfill

This labor, by slow prudence to make mild

A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees

Subdue them to the useful and the good.

Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere

Of common duties, decent not to fail

In offices of tenderness, and pay

Meet adoration to my household gods,

When I am gone.He works his work, I mine.

There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail;

There gloom the dark, broad seas.My mariners,

Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me,--

That ever with a frolic welcome took

The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed

Free hearts, free foreheads,-- you and I are old;

Old age hath yet his honor and his toil.

Death closes all; but something ere the end,

Some work of noble note, may yet be done,

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks;

The long day wanes; the slow moon climbs; the deep

Moans round with many voices.Come, my friends.

'T is not too late to seek a newer world.

Push off, and sitting well in order smite

The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,--

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

.: :.

I think that Ulyssses is a symbol of Victorian England, Tennyson's home. England had by the end of the 1800's had achieved many remarkable things and during Tennyson's life they seemed to be relaxing and enjoying the fruits of their labor. Tennyson is trying to tell his fellow Englishmen that there is much yet to achieve.

| Posted on 2008-12-06 | by a guest

.: :.

this poem is hard to understand when i first read it..but its an interesting poem about Odysseus and his struggles in his life.

| Posted on 2008-11-16 | by a guest

.: :.

Alfred Lord tennyson is portraying a characters live of full intention and hope through dramatic monologue. he is conveyed as rather egocentric in the way in which he wants to travel, but in opposition to this charcteristic in which we can note we see the role reversal between himself and Telemachus (his son.) This shows us that he is not all ego centric and does not judge his son in the perspective of beig so ulike him.

| Posted on 2008-11-12 | by a guest

.: :.

The protagonist, odysseus (ulysses) speaks to an unspecified audience in this dramatic monolgoue.
Kingdom - Ithaca.
Wife - Penelope.
Son - Telemachus.

| Posted on 2008-09-12 | by a guest

.: :.

"I will drink life to the lees" has nothing to do with drinking, or seeing life through a skewed or drunken perspective. The phrase means that Ulysses is going to "drink" ie- live life to the fullest, to the very end - to the lees - lee is the sediment or dregs in the bottom of wine bottles. Many people will not drink that far down for fear of ingesting some of the lees/dregs. Wanting to live his life to the fullest, Ulysses says, "I will drink life to the lees" - He is not afraid of drinking some lees/sediment in order to "drink" as much life as possible.

| Posted on 2008-08-18 | by a guest

.: :.

The poem celebrates the indomitable spirit of man.Ulysses
is used to a life of adventure and change.The life of a family man with the responsibilities of a king is dull for him.He yearns to recover the glory of the past.He tries to persuade his earlier fellow mariners,those who took a part in his adventures,to join him in his voyages.He wants to break free of his monotonous life and return to a life of excitement.

| Posted on 2008-08-08 | by a guest

.: Ulysses Analysis :.

Ulysses is a poem which explores multiple interpretations in which the themes vary on mortality; he is at the stage of dying and might also reflect his fear of victory ending "How dull it is to pause, to make an end". The persona writes two sentences with the same meaning to reinforce his point of view. Motivation and age concern are part of the poem's themes as Tennyson explains in the quote: "but every hour is saved from that eternal silence" which portays the death in "eternal silence" and he is almost preventing it by making the most of his time "For always roaming with a hungry heart" shows his motivation and could also indicate his loss of love as he describes "matched with an aged wife" ironic image of describing his wife. However, it can also mean his love has started at an older stage which refers to the theme of age concern as he adds "aged" to describe her.

| Posted on 2008-05-15 | by a guest

.: :.

The message of the poem was to say that when He came home he didn't want to rest he just wanted to go out again and again he wouldnn't rest until he did

| Posted on 2008-05-09 | by a guest

.: ulysses :.

In 'Ulysses' Tennyson explains his philosophy of life through the words of the lone speaker, the greek hero, Ulysses. according to Tennyson life is there to remain active and not waste time in awaiting death which would make life dill. he explains the brevity of life and urges the readers to devote themselves to action and make their life worth it....

| Posted on 2008-05-03 | by a guest

.: "Ulysses" & Victorianism :.

I think this poem is about the early victorian attitude of advancement in society. we struggle so we can hand over society to succesors when we go so they can fulfil the needs easier. It is also an optimistic view on grwoth.

| Posted on 2008-04-23 | by a guest

.: :.

This poem must resonate with those who live for adventure and for new experiences. It's for those who can't sit still, for those who start things but find it boring to finish. To be a complete nerd, 'Ulysses' is the ultimate ENTP. Forget love, forget power, 'Ulysses' empathises with those who fight the stultifying boredom that comes with doing the same thing, day in and day out. It talks about the need to have constant new experiences, to never settle for the ordinary and to always seek something new - right down to your last breath. 'Living life to the fullest' doesn't quite do justice to a poem that illustrates an overwhelming need not to be bored. Yes it was great to get back to Ithaca, yes it was wonderful to be reunited with his wife, but Ulysses is now restless. Telemachus can do the job better as he is content to stay at home and patiently guide his people in the right direction. However, Ulysses can no longer stay still - he craves not just the adventures, but the fame that comes with what he's done and will do. For people of that personality, constant change, and recognition by others of their exploits are their driving force. Tennyson describes that personality type perfectly in his poem about Ulysses.

| Posted on 2008-02-08 | by a guest

.: love :.

In this poem, Tennyson explains Ulysses quench for love with idolizing that he has a hungry heart that always roams. It seems as though we're suppose to believe that the love for his wife Penelope has grown a substantial part in demand which his wife cannot give. That Ulysses has roamed the earth in search for a love, so rich in quantity, that can satisfy his needs.

| Posted on 2007-02-12 | by a guest

.: love :.

In this poem, Tennyson explains Ulysses quench for love with idolizing that he has a hungry heart that always roams. It seems as though we're suppose to believe that the love for his wife Penelope has grown a substantial part in demand which his wife cannot give. That Ulysses has roamed the earth in search for a love, so rich in quantity, that can satisfy his needs.

| Posted on 2007-02-12 | by a guest

.: :.

1. Even though Tennyson said "Ulysses" gave his feeling about Hallam's death and "the need for going forward, and braving the struggle of life," this account of the poem's meaning is inconsistent with the desolate melancholy music of the words themselves.

2. Tennyson is espousing a jovial agnosticism totally opposed to the faith endorsed in In Memoriam. Thus the poem is a dramatic representation of a man who has faith neither in the gods nor in the necessity of preserving order in his kingdom and his own life.

3. The whole thing is a monologue interieur, and there is no quest. It is merely the utterance of a super-annuated hero indulging himself in the fantasy that his beloved mariners are still alive. It is a kind of dream, a means of escape momentarily from the uncongenial environment of Ithaca.

4. The whole thing is a monologue interieur that takes place on Ulysses's death-bed. Thus he can greet his dead sailors, and thus he can look forward to exoloring the last great mysetry, death.

(These last three possibilities do not necessarily contradict the previous suggestions.)

5. The idea that here Tennyson unlocked his heart depends upon stock responses. If we simply read it as a dramatic poem, one comes to see its speaker as a highly complex individual.

6. Ulysses is heroic but bewildered, and the structural inconsistencies in the poem are evidence of the author's (or character's) muddled thinking.

(Andrew Leblanc)

| Posted on 2007-01-23 | by a guest

.: music n theme :.


A reading of this poem makes the want to get transported to the victorian times.In fact,
Tennyson transports us to the Victorian times through his poem.The theme is one of the media to transport us thither.
The music is complicated and yet wonderfully simple.It has a lilting flow and a soothing effect despite it's being in blank verse.He is truly worthy of the comment that he had a very fine for music.

| Posted on 2006-08-01 | by Approved Guest

.: ulysses :.

i think in the poem also talks about the idea of perfect reunucuation. This is exemplified in the act of handing over the sceptre to telemachus. Ulysses is now ready to take up a voyage beyond the fading horizons. his son is now all set to take over what ulysses did when he was of the same age as that of his son.

| Posted on 2006-07-18 | by Approved Guest

.: Major Theme :.

The poem speaks about living life to the fullest. Even though death is inevitable, we must make the mos of the time we have on earth. This is why Ulysses wishes to travel more: "...roaming with a hungry heart...". Tennyson also mentions that we should not give in to old age: "...and not to yield..." (Last line)


| Posted on 2006-06-12 | by Approved Guest

.: no :.

thats not what its about. its talking about his struggles in life, and how he only got through them by looking at whats to come, looking at the good side of things. he mentions that "met with an aged wife" because he took so long to get accustomed to his life, and his struggles in life, that he wasnt able to marry till a later age. he also talks about how he drinks and such sort because he couldnt stand up to his struggles head on, so instead, came into them with a skewwed, or drunk view.

| Posted on 2006-05-25 | by Approved Guest

.: no :.

thats not what its about. its talking about his struggles in life, and how he only got through them by looking at whats to come, looking at the good side of things. he mentions that "met with an aged wife" because he took so long to get accustomed to his life, and his struggles in life, that he wasnt able to marry till a later age. he also talks about how he drinks and such sort because he couldnt stand up to his struggles head on, so instead, came into them with a skewwed, or drunk view.

| Posted on 2006-05-25 | by Approved Guest

.: :.

Tennyson uses the classical figure of Ulysses (Odyseus) to represent a personal journey within his own life, a spiritual voyage. The poem structure is a dramatic monologue. Tennyson uses enjambement (a run on lines) to reflect the meaning and content of the poem which is that of sailing beyond death. The speaker provides an egocentric account of his desire to travel and experience adventure rather than remaining an 'idle king.' The reader is then introduced to his son, telemachus who will succeed Ulsses while he is travelling. We are given a half Ulysses abdication of responsibility and the role reversal between himself and his son. Ulysses goes on to accentuate the heroism of old age with his loving description of his mariners. To sum up, the poem is about defiance in the age of death, the knowledge that death is inevitable but its the moment one should live for. The poem is an alegory about mortality.

| Posted on 2006-01-04 | by Approved Guest