Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson - Essay Example

Analysis of the Poem “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson “Ulysses” in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s rendition depicts recreation of an epic figure drawn from Homer’s Odyssey as a hero who embarks on his last sea voyage and from Dante’s Inferno as a man of tragic consequences who meets death while on journey for further quest of knowledge and wisdom. It is quite conspicuous that based on these combined accounts, the poem carries with it the central theme which exhibits the essence of learning through continuous exploration.

As such, the traveller in “Ulysses” expresses – “I cannot rest from travel; I will drink / Life to the lees. All times I have enjoyed” to signify how a life of voyage can never be detached from him, knowing by heart that it would constantly mean living with a sensible purpose. The death of a friend in 1833 forms one chief ground that generates huge drive for Lord Tennyson to write “Ulysses” and point out that despite such disheartening loss, struggles in life ought to serve one the fuel to keep moving forward.

By the initial portion of the piece, not being able to rest from travel does not at all pertain to lack of time which the speaker might necessitate that moment. Rather, such disclosure of having to travel without fail comes with a pride of alluding that beyond this life, the traveller at rest or a stationary individual would not have taken the remarkable opportunity present in joy and suffering alike. As early as this stage, Lord Tennyson may be perceived to have full discernment of the impact of travelling having claimed “I have enjoyed / Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those / That loved me, and alone” so that it becomes natural for the traveller to keep its worth and realize acquisition of learning in the process.

In effect, ‘to travel’ alludes to experience delight and sorrow and acknowledge that these two bear a common value a person must equally relish to make the most of one’s existence. Following his acclaim for ‘travel’, the narrator exposes “Ulysses” in the light of adventure where Lord Tennyson’s poetics eventually enables him to become the expected Odysseus providing description of the bulk of his encounters in telling “Much have I seen and known, -- cities of men / And manners, climates, councils, governments” which are collectively symbolic of the monsters and mythical creatures met by Homer’s protagonist himself.

“For always roaming with a hungry heart” equivalently, builds allusion around Dante’s principal character well-known for his ever insatiable thirst after knowledge. Proud utterance of “I am become a name”, thus, holds connotation for the traveller who appears to allow his original identity to dissolve in exchange of a variety of identities by which to examine oneself further and be adaptive thereto as the journey proceeds. “To follow knowledge like a sinking star, / Beyond the utmost bound of human thought” contains a simile regarding the degree of passion which the journeying individual should yield at if he hopes to develop a flexible character and discover treasures in learning to the bottom end.

A ‘sinking star’ is implies a motion that requires delicate attention wherein one ought to be cautious in keeping track of his watch so that the star assumes the role of a compass, able to direct a man along a chosen path no matter how far the journey takes prior to the intended destination. Because the object with which the act of following knowledge is likened possesses cosmic property to marvel at, the placing of hyperbole indicated by ‘beyond the utmost bound’ timely matches the attribute of knowledge which is normally measured by expanse.

As a tribute to the deceased colleague, the personification made by “Death closes all” primarily admits the inevitable fact of a perishable life yet Lord Tennyson uses this ground to justify optimism with a new set of challenges revealed in the lines for the traveller who refreshes with encouraging words “Some work of noble note, may yet be done . Come, my friends, / ‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world.” The poet likely formulates a principle that death, though it bears the full capacity to terminate life, can be transcended with the power of individual determination or the will to “Push off”.

Through Lord Tennyson’s achieved conclusion for “Ulysses” in parallel structure – “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”, the concept is disposed to characterize enthusiasm which applies well for the average workers of the modern society. These individuals endeavor to have their incomes appraised in sustaining families and desired standards of living.