‘Ulysses’ by Alfred Tennyson: Text, Annotation and Analysis
‘Ulysses’ by Alfred Tennyson: Text, Annotation and Analysis
Contents
Introduction
‘Ulysses’
What is a Dramatic Monologue?
Critical Appreciation of Ulysses
Themes
Complete TEXT, Explanations and Annotations
Alfred Tennyson
Introduction
Born in Somersby, Lincolnshire,
Tennyson showed an early talent for poetry and published his first collection, Poems
by Two Brothers. He gained wider recognition with Poems, Chiefly Lyrical
(1830) and later works such as In Memoriam A.H.H. (1850), a deeply
personal elegy for his friend Arthur Henry Hallam.
Tennyson’s poetry often draws from
classical mythology, medieval legends, and historical themes. Some of his most
famous works include ‘The Charge
of the Light Brigade’, ‘The
Lady of Shalott’, ‘Ulysses’,
and Idylls of the King, a collection of poems based on the Arthurian
legends. His writing, marked by a deep emotional resonance and technical
mastery, continues to be studied and admired today as a defining voice of the
Victorian period.
‘Ulysses’
'Ulysses' is a dramatic monologue by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It was written in 1833 and published in 1842. It presents the thoughts of Ulysses (the Roman name for Odysseus), the legendary Greek hero from Homer's Odyssey. In this poem, Tennyson tells us the tale of the great hero Ulysses who sets out for a final journey before his death. Ulysses is not happy with his boring life as king of Ithaca. He wants to go out and travel again so that he can experience more adventure and gain more knowledge. So, he hands over his kingdom to his son, Telemachus, and along with his old companions, sets out on a final journey in his old age.
In the poem, Ulysses reflects on his
dissatisfaction with his idle life as king of Ithaca after his long and
adventurous journey home. He feels restless and unfulfilled, longing for exploration and adventure rather than
staying in one place and ruling over "a savage race" (his people). He
contrasts his past heroic deeds with his current ordinary existence and resolves to set sail once more
with his old companions in search of new experiences, declaring that he is
still strong and determined despite his age.
The poem's famous closing lines—"To
strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."—capture Ulysses'
indomitable spirit and desire for eternal adventure. The poem is often interpreted as a meditation on perseverance, aging,
and the unyielding pursuit of greatness.
What is a Dramatic Monologue?A dramatic monologue is a
type of poem in which a single speaker, who is not the poet, addresses a silent
listener or an implied audience. This form allows the reader to gain insight
into the speaker’s character, emotions, and thoughts, often revealing deeper
psychological complexities or moral dilemmas. Dramatic monologues are
powerful in exploring human psychology and presenting complex characters
through their own words. Key
Features of a Dramatic Monologue:
Examples
of Dramatic Monologues:
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Critical Appreciation of Ulysses
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s 'Ulysses' (1842) is a dramatic monologue that presents the classical hero Ulysses (Odysseus) in his old age, dissatisfied with a life of rest after returning to Ithaca. The poem reflects the Victorian spirit of adventure, perseverance, and the desire for continuous striving. Through the voice of Ulysses, Tennyson explores the human urge for action, experience, and self-realization.
The central theme of the poem is the refusal to accept stagnation. Ulysses rejects a passive life and believes that mere existence without purpose is meaningless. His famous lines, “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield,” express the indomitable human spirit. The poem also contrasts Ulysses with his son Telemachus, who represents stability, responsibility, and order, while Ulysses embodies restlessness and heroic ambition.
Technically, the poem is written in blank verse, which gives it a dignified and dramatic tone. Tennyson’s language is rich in imagery drawn from the sea, travel, and classical mythology, reinforcing the theme of exploration. The dramatic monologue form allows readers to see Ulysses’ inner conflict, making the poem psychologically complex.
Critically, some readers view Ulysses as selfish for abandoning his kingdom, while others admire his courage and idealism. Overall, Ulysses is a powerful meditation on aging, purpose, and the eternal human desire to move forward despite limitations.
Themes
The central theme of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem Ulysses is the spirit of relentless striving and the refusal to accept stagnation. The poem emphasizes that life derives meaning from continuous effort, experience, and the pursuit of higher ideals, even in old age. Through Ulysses, Tennyson presents the idea that merely existing without purpose is equivalent to spiritual death.
Other important themes include the quest for knowledge, adventure and exploration, the dignity of old age, and the contrast between active and passive life. The poem also reflects the Victorian belief in progress and individual will. Ultimately, Ulysses celebrates the human determination to move forward, face challenges bravely, and pursue ideals until the very end of life.
Complete TEXT, Explanations and Annotations
Stanza I
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and doleUnequal 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 honour'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 forever 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.
Explanation In this stanza, Ulysses expresses his deep dissatisfaction with a life of inactivity after returning to Ithaca. He feels that it is meaningless for him to rule as an “idle king,” living quietly with his old wife and governing a dull, uncivilized people who neither understand nor value him. Ulysses declares that he cannot stop travelling, as life for him means constant experience and action. He has lived intensely, enjoying great joys and enduring great sufferings, both in companionship and solitude. His past adventures, battles, and travels have shaped his identity. He believes that life gains meaning through continuous effort, exploration, and the pursuit of knowledge, not through rest or stagnation.
Notes and Annotation:
Ulysses Conquered and ruled for a long time before undertaking fresh travel.
Unequal …..unto a savage race – unjust and primitive state of law under which uncivilized people of Ithaca lived.
I cannot rest….. the lees - ‘travel’ has been used as a metaphor of Victorian zeal for development and progress. Ulysses wants to live his life to its utmost limits.
Stanza II
This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil
This labour, 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.
Explanation: In the second stanza, Ulysses speaks about his son Telemachus, to whom he is leaving the kingdom of Ithaca. He expresses his affection and respect for his son, describing him as wise, patient, and capable of ruling responsibly. Unlike Ulysses, Telemachus is suited to peaceful and practical duties. He will civilize the rough people of the island gradually, using “slow prudence” rather than force. Telemachus is devoted to everyday responsibilities, moral values, and religious duties, and he will properly worship the household gods after Ulysses’ departure. Through this contrast, Tennyson shows that both father and son have different roles to perform in life. While Telemachus is fit for governance and stability, Ulysses is meant for action, adventure, and exploration.
Notes and Annotation:
Stanza III
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 honour 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.
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