Introduction and background about the author
Ulysses is an old poem that carries a huge information that still resonates with the current generation. The poem was orchestrated by a great poem writer of the time. He wrote the poem while he was energetic and full of ideas. Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-92) did write the poem when he was at his early twenties. The poem has been analyzed in different dimensions from the reader’s point of view. however, a close analyses of the poem by other great poem writers reveals that the poem is written in response to the untimely death of the Tennyson’s close friend, Arthur Henry Hallam. Alfred, Lord Tennyson is great British poet writer who is being remembered for holding the poet Laureateship for 42 years. He held the position until his death. This is a record making that it has bot being broken as far as poetry is concerned. In 1829, Alfred was awarded the chancellor’s gold medal prize at the university of Cambridge for the outstanding performance of one of his writings. Besides Ulysses other poems that Alfred has written that have been read widely include the charge of the light brigade, and crossing the bar. The three poems did give him the recognition across the globe as the best writer who incorporated different styles of writing in giving out the intended message to the targeted audience of the poem.
The poems of Alfred were well researched which conveyed different messages targeting different audiences. He incorporated a wide range of the subjects’ matter which ranged from the medieval legends up to the classical myths, domestic issues and even the nature and environment. His works also included the romantic part of life of many youths who were struggling with their love life story. He inspired many in the line of poetry as he mentored many other poets who came after him. He taught literature and other linguistic styles in different universities which made him to be known in many of the British universities. His efforts and works done in the world of poetry are still vivid in the mind of many literature students.
Analysis of the poem
The speaker in the poem Ulysses cites that it feels worthless to stay a home or rather at one place with his wife. He continues to speak to himself that he cannot have rest from travel but he would rather spend most of his time living to the fullest until the last drop of his life. the speaker in the poem seems to have sailed most parts of the world and that the pleasure that comes with it is what he cannot afford to lose and stay at home with his wife. Coming back home, Ulysses gives out his frustrations on how his life has become useless and pointless. He points out how the life seems meaningless to him as the king of Ithaca who is forced to stay at home on the rocky island of Ithaca. Ulysses feels so much bothered with this life simply because his wife is old and he need to continue to craft imperfect laws that will govern people whom he considers them to be uncivilized and stupid.
Ulysses still has the dreams and desires that one day he will transverse the country as he used to do. According to him, he does not yarn to stop things that he was used to do as long as they give him happiness. He founds happiness to every moment and minute he spends while travelling. He loves travelling because he points out that through his travels, he has been exposed to different types of people with different cultures. It has also given him an insight exposure to the battle of delight as he was fighting the Trojan war with his men. He says that he is of what he is today because traveling has shaped him to that.
The poem continues Ulysses speaking about his son Telemachus. According to the speaker, who at this point is speaking to anonymous audience, says that his son, Telemachus will take over his leadership when he is gone. He praises his son but also with a patronizing attitude about the capabilities of leadership that his son has compared to himself. He believes that his son will do the work of governing the people while he will be doing his work; travelling. In the last stanza of the poem, Ulysses gets the audience of his fellow mariners whom the travelled and worked together. He iterates that even though they are old, they still have a prime opportunity to do something honorable that will be remembered before the long day wanes. Ulysses encourages his trouble mates to make good use of their old age as it comes with wisdom. In the parting shot of the poem, Ulysses and his fellows demonstrates that they are not strong as they were during their youth but they are more strong in will and relentless push in achieving their goals.
Setting and form of the poem
The poem is orchestrated in a dramatic monologue. The poem is spoken by a single main character who has revealed himself through the description. The lines used in the poem demonstrates an impartiality and neutrality towards the Ulysses speech. The setting of the poem starts in the rocky islands of Ithaca where he is the leader and ends where the character meets his fellow sailors as they discuss how they can leave a remarkable mark in the world before their days are over on earth.
Themes
Mortality and aging
In the beginning of the poem, Ulysses confronts being old age and the dissatisfaction that comes along while sitting at home. he does not want the old age to cut short his adventurous young golden days that he is striving to live until his death. At the end of the poem, he therefore admits that old age has weakened him and that he needs to do something noble that it will be remembered with the upcoming generation.
Adventure and knowledge
In the Tennyson’s poem, the speaker struggles for many years to come back home in Ithaca. However, while at home with his wife, Ulysses discovers that home is not the best place that can make him happy. As the poem begins, an angry Ulysses points out how he is uncomfortable with staying at home and he feels like being idle in his home. Absurdity, the many years that he spent while travelling did not make him miss his home but it made him to love travelling more and making new adventures and meeting new friends. For Ulysses, the taste for adventuring cannot be taken away as he is committed to do that until his last day. He also urges his fellow mariners to join him in the last voyage in the bid of reclaiming what he considers to be the true identity.
Caution and recklessness.
Ulysses describes Telemachus, his son, as being a conservative, and cautious man who can take over after him to lead the people of Ithaca. However, he patronizingly scolds his son because he does not have the daring, power, imaginations, not being curious as himself. As a leader, Ulysses has shown his recklessness in his administration. He has referred to his people as being stupid and that they are uncivilized. He continues to craft imperfect laws to govern them while himself is constantly on travels. While on travel with his crewmates, he also exposes his recklessness when he exposes his friends to death and danger.
Reference
James, J. (2017). Ulysses. Рипол Классик.