Ulysses
Introduction of the Poet
Lord Alfred Tennyson occupies a very
important and prominent position in the domain of English Literature. He is the
representative poet of Victorian era. He is a prolific poet and has composed a
number of poems. Tennyson’s poetry is rich in imagery as that of keats but it
lacks the romantic fine of Words Worth and Coleridge.
Introduction of the Poem
Ulysses is a long, magnificent,
symbolical and moral boosting poem. The poem is written in the dramatic
monologues of the powerful blank verse and tells the story of the most prudent
and bravest of the Greek heroes, Ulysses of Homer’s Odyssey. He is the symbol
of adventurous spirit, indomitable courage, inexhaustible zeal; unflinching
faith; unshakable determination and unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Ulysses
wants to set out on a journey of discovery because he believes that it is not
too late to find a New World.
Summary
Ulysses was a Greek hero and the King
of Ithaca. He had spent most of his life in voyages and was always filled with
the spirit of ventures and courage. His life was based on the principle of
struggle and courage.
In this speech, Ulysses pays high
tribute to his mariners who laboured and worked with him. He reminded them of
the past endeavors and motivated them to get prepared for another voyage.
Ulysses believed that struggle should continue as long as they lived. They had
to prove their eagerness, enthusiasm and the ability to fight even with deities
Ulysses invited his sailors to set off for another voyage in the hope of
discovering new land in the far west. He was conscious of the dangers and
hazards involved in such exploitation but he was prepared to meet all the
challenges.
Ulysses admitted that with the
passage of time, the major part of their lives and much of their energies have
been used up and they had grown weaker. But their determination was as strong
as ever and they do not find them selves lacking in strength and vitality. They
find themselves still a force to reckon with. They are always bent upon making
ceaseless efforts to discover new lands, and under no circumstances, giving up
their struggle until ultimate success is achieved.
Moral
“Struggle is the father of all things … it is not by the principles of
humanity that man lives or is able to preserve himself above the animal world,
but solely by means of the most brutal struggle.”
- Adolf Hitler
- Adolf Hitler
Reference to
the Context
Reference
The lines given for explanation have
been extracted from the poem entitled Ulysses, composed by Lord Alfred
Tennyson.
About the Poet
Lord Alfred Tennyson occupies a very
important and prominent position in the domain of English Literature. He is the
representative poet of Victorian era. He is a prolific poet and has composed a number
of poems. Tennyson’s poetry is rich in imagery as that of keats but it lacks
the romantic fine of Words Worth and Coleridge.
About the Poem
Ulysses is a long, magnificent,
symbolical and moral boosting poem. The poem is written in the dramatic monologues
of the powerful blank verse and tells the story of the most prudent and bravest
of the Greek heroes, Ulysses of Homer’s Odyssey. He is the symbol of
adventurous spirit, indomitable courage, inexhaustible zeal; unflinching faith;
unshakable determination and unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Ulysses wants
to set out on a journey of discovery because he believes that it is not too
late to find a New World.
Lines
Souls that have toil’d and wrought ———— Free hearts, free foreheads –
you and I are old;
Explanation
Ulysses is addressing his fallow
sailors; those brave ones who worked hard and have accomplished treat deeds in
the past happily and even beard the hardships of rough season and sunshine. He
further plays attribute on them that, they are free even with noble souls. Our
old ages have stid to keep us away from any long journey to explore thus world
or to keep glory up. He is addressing those mariners who had all those
qualities and he is converging them to join him in his last journey as they did
in the past by giving them the few best example and glories of their pride.
Lines
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil ———– No unbecoming men that
strove with gods.
Explanation
In these lines we are told how
Ulysses inspired his men. He told them that no doubt old age brings its labours
and honours with it. But we should do something remarkable before our death,
benefiting great heroes who have often faced gods. Here Ulysses refers to old
battles between men and gods, as told in the Greek mythology. According to
Greek legend, Ulysses and his comrades strove with gods during the war between
Greece and Troy, when the Gods themselves took rides in the contest, and doing
Ulysses’s heroic journey back to Greece when he had to face great perils
because he had angered Poseidon, the God of the Sea. The poet says that, death
is power, the spirit of working and efforts come to an end when a man faces
death, but a man should always do virtues and avoid troubling others. His
actions will remain after his death. They will out live him. We should not do
anything against Gods, but achieve some unusual. This is the honour of old age
to face troubles and to yield something great to be remembered after the death.
Lines
The light begins to twinkle from the rocks ———Moans round with many
voices. Come, my friends;
Explanation
In these lines the poet tells us that
although Ulysses and his friends are nearing the end of their lives, still for
them there is a time to go and to find a New World. Ulysses tells his friends
that the sun of their lives is going to set while the long day is going to an
end. The moon is also rising this shows that night i.e. death is fast
approaching. Still there is some time to go out and seek a New World. He means
to say that they should not worry if they have become old.
The poet describes the sight of an
evening. The days are losing its light. The moon is sailing in the sky. We can
hear the sounds of the wave that are striking against the seashore. Come on my
friends. It is never late to discover a New World. This is the evening of our
lives yet we are in a position to explore a New World to be immortal after our
death. The poet creates in sense of self confidence in his men and encouraged
them to not to be disappointed to their old evenings of life, but to yield a
New World.
Lines
This not too late to seek a newer world ———– Of all the western stars,
untill I die.
Explanation
In these lines, Ulysses urges his
companions to come along with him, sit in order in the boat and start the
voyage of discovery. He wants to set out on a journey of discovery with great
confidence because it is his firm believe that it is not too late to find a New
World. Therefore he asks his comrades to drive the oars with power and might
because the sea looks dangerous as the noisy waves are rising ferociously.
Ulysses is here conscious of the perils supposed to be created in the way by
the sea God, Poseidon whom they had angered in the Trojan Wars. He tries to
reassure them that they will overcome all the obstacles since he is determined
to sail beyond the Western bank and touch the happy Isle before he dies. This
thing shows that Ulysses is an adventurous person who has unquenchable thirst
for knowledge and has a passion for discovery.
Through the symbolic character of
Ulysses, Tennyson wants to evoke the spirit of adventure and insatiable thirst
for knowledge. He wants to convince us that each and every minute of life is
very vital and one must struggle ceaselessly against heavy odds following the
motto:
“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
Lines
Tho’ much is taken, much abides, and tho’ ————-To strive, to seek, to
find, and not to yield.
Explanation
In these lines, Ulysses says to his
comrades that although time has taken away many things from them but many
things remain with them. They still possess courage and hope. They are still
very brave.
He says that no doubt, they have lost
a great deal of strength and energy but still they have much strength and
powers to accomplish heroic deed. Of course they do not possess that strength
and energy which they possessed in the past and used to perform deeds of
bravery and accomplish great tasks.
Ulysses wants to say that in spite of
being old, exhausted and physically feeble, they still possess some very
remarkable qualities. In old age, a man has experience, knowledge and treasure
of wisdom. He says that his mariners can perform memorable deed only if they
take courage and struggle jointly.
“Lighter is the task when many share the toil.”
– Homer
He says that they have strong hearts
and high aims. There is unity of thought and action among them. Temperamentally
they are one. So, they must struggle relentlessly and ceaselessly to discover a
New World, to gain fresh knowledge and experience and not to acknowledge
defeat. Some one has rightly said:
“Defeat should never be a source of discouragement, but rather a fresh
stimulus.”
Through the symbolic character of
Ulysses Tennyson wants to inspire the old, weak and exhausted people who can
accomplish some great task even in old age. Action is life and inaction is
death. So, one must continue his struggle against heavy odds till the last
breath of life.
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