- You need to write one conversation starter (1 paragraph) about any or all of the poems. Your conversation starters can be personal or reflective in nature, or they may be analytical. Refer to specific lines and incorporate quotes in your response. You may also pose questions as well.
- You will also need to reply to at least one classmate's conversation starter (1 paragraph). Be sure to address (by name) the classmate(s) that you are responding to.
You should have completed your TPCASTTs before posting.
In reading "Ulysses" I noticed many different shifts in attitude amongst the speaker and really began to feel like his emotions became a roller-coaster. The details throughout this poem portray both an honorable death and a death of regret in not achieving what could have been and lost opportunities. However, Tennyson strongly creates the idea that not experiencing the world around us is equal to wasting a life as a whole. "To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use" coveys his view that even though many life experiences are painful at the time, they result in a strong individual and help to form a persons character while those who do not face struggle or interact with those are different from themselves aren't gaining the true dirt and grit of life that serves to mold someone. Tennyson also illustrates that as a leader or royal figure, one must maintain strength in order to properly display the qualities that a community searches for in a figure of authority. To me, creating the idea of a king contrasts with the image he already constructed of someone who has many life experiences. We tend to think of royals as individuals who have been protected and pampered all throughout their lives and according to Tennyson they may not have received the same qualities necessary to have lived a proper life of achievement due to struggle.
ReplyDeleteAbby, I agree with you that the attitude of the speaker shifts a lot through the poem. Personally I felt like the speaker went from disappointed while describing his idle life for the past three years as king to reminiscent and wishful while recalling the adventures and travels of his past, finally I thought he ended with an almost hopeful attitude as he admitted he was old and near death but despite this there was still time from him to do what he wanted and accept death as another adventure.The line that comes after "To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use! As tho' to breathe were life." also helps to reinforce the idea Tennyson puts out about a person not really being alive unless they are fulfilling their purpose. Which, as you said, forms/molds a persons character.
DeleteAbby Hord, I agree strongly with the point you are getting at and I feel like this poem had the same effect on me as it did you. When you made the point to say that Tennyson creates the feeling that "not experiencing the world around us is equal to wasting a life as a whole" it led me to start thinking deeper into what this poem could truly mean. This comment had a huge effect on how I looked at the poem. Even though I was agreeing with your opinion the whole time, that completely sold me on the fact that this poem is trying to tell the reader that it is not really living if you don't go out and explore for yourself. Also, I really like your contrast between what we imagine royal figure to be like verses the one described with many experiences in life. It sort of makes the reader feel like this is a King unlike any other.
DeleteWhen I first looked at the poem "Ulysses" I was almost positive that the poem would recount Ulysses part in the Trojan war or his travels home from Trojan war. Needless to say I was very surprised when I realized the poem was set after Ulysses well know travels and adventures when he is older. Despite my surprise as I read the poem I was able to see that Tennyson was only able to properly convey Ulysses restlessness with this setting.Tennyson shows Ulysses dislike of his current situation and his restlessness with diction. When describing his kingdom he describes his subjects as unsavory uncivilized people calling them a "savage race" and "rugged people", he also says they do nothing but eat, sleep, and work ("That hoard and sleep, and feed..."). In contrast when he talks about his past when he wasn't at home he takes on a reminiscent and wishful attitude. His diction becomes pleasant and shows him almost idolizing his past with words like "honor'd" and "hungry hearts". Tennyson also illustrates Ulysses want for travel and adventure (in contrast to his idle life) with the diction in line 20 "Gleams the untravell'd world...", once again when describing adventure the diction becomes positive in contrast to the diction when describing Ulysses idle life and kingdom. Combined with line 22-24 "How dull it is to pause, to make an end...As tho' to breathe were life.", Tennyson is able to show that Ulysses is a man meant for adventure not being royal and restless. Ulysses only feels alive when he is living out his purpose of traveling.
ReplyDeleteTessa, I also initially thought the poem was going to be about Ulysses' experience in the war, and I almost liked that it wasn't about that honestly. I liked how Tennyson took a different path and showed how incredibly bored Ulysses was in Ithaca. He really did idolize his past when he was at war, which is ironic to me because typically we don't see war in a positive light. Instead, the negativity lies in Ithaca. Also, since he is a king, he should be fond of resting and sitting around not doing much, but he would rather be traveling even if that means going back to war. Ulysses really is royal and restless.
DeleteTessa, I too thought that the poem was going to be about either Ulysses' experience in the Trojan War or his journey home. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't and that Tennyson decided to show a different side of Ulysses, the one where he is a restless king. By showing Ulysses while he is in his home of Ithaca reveals to the reader the kind of person Ulysses is. It shows us that he yearns for adventure and that, even if it means being in a war, he loves it; while also showing us that he truly is not meant for the life of the typical royal: a life where you sit around and oversee those around you.
DeleteAfter reading "Ulysses," I realized that this poem could be taken metaphorically or literally. Is Ulysses on his deathbed, unable to move, and dreaming of going on a sea adventure again? Or is he literally stuck in Ithaca, and at the end, actually embarking on his (maybe) last adventure? It could be metaphorical because of the several symbols of death and new life, such as the "arch" that leads to the "untravelled world," and the "sinking star," and the allusion to the "Happy Isles," which alludes to the Islands of the Blessed, an island that heroes went to after dying. Telemachus' introduction could be a reassurance to the people of Ithaca in which after Ulysses dies, Telemachus will be a just and kind king. However, one could also argue that the poem should be taken literally, because Ulysses says himself that "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..." Even though Ulysses may be old, he may not be old enough to be on his deathbed. The description and handing of the "sceptre" to Telemachus could be interpreted to be temporary (only until Ulysses returns). All in all, I believe this poem could be interpreted enough to make either argument.
ReplyDeleteMaddi, while I definitely agree that this poem could be viewed in several different forms, I feel like Tennyson may have written it for that exact reason. The passing of the sceptre also left me wondering if he was literally passing on his rule and authority to Telemachus, or if it could be metaphorical to possibly represent the passing of appropriate age for adventure. Maybe Ulysses is content enough in his experiences to allow Telemachus to take the opportunities that he once did. As I mentioned in my comment, Tennyson seems to change moods a lot in this poem and keeping readers guessing whether he is speaking in a literal or metaphorical sense only reaffirmed that for me.
DeleteMaddi, I also went back and forth between the question of whether it were literal or metaphorical. I can see your point of views, but can also see that it may a continuous, I guess you could say, because Tennyson uses past, present, and future tenses. He talks about the times he has enjoyed and suffered in lines 7-9. He says that he is "always roaming." Later in the poem he says "the lights begin to twinkle" and "T is not too late." Lines 60-61 say that "the gulfs will wash us down...we shall touch the Happy Isles." The changing between the tenses kind of threw me off some, but i think he could be currently traveling. It's a bit of a weak conclusion, but it's what makes the most sense to me.
DeleteI completely agree with your view of both interpretations. I took it as he was handing the crown and responsibility at first, but I see where you are coming from saying that Ulysses could have been dying. Mostly how in the last stanza, it speaks of all of the unknown that is out there for him to explore. This gives the idea of the unknown afterlife. The descriptions of everything seemed appealing, regardless of his knowledge of what exactly would happen. He also speaks of handing his son these responsibilities almost as if he had no other choice, it seems like he does not consider staying. Death gives no choice, it just happens and sometimes it is unexpected.
DeleteMaddi, I hadn't even thought about the poem being about Ulysses on his death bed. Now that you mention it, it sheds a completely different light on the poem. I definitely saw the symbols for death, but I assumed it was simply because Ulysses and his men were old. I could see the passing of the sceptre as handing his title down to his son because of his death; however, I think that contradicts when he says "he works his work, I mine." I think this poem has many meanings and many ways it can be interpreted, just like the many possibilities of exploring, as Ulysses may or may not be doing.
DeleteAs I was reading "Ulysses", I understood Ulysses' desire to continue traveling after being overwhelmed with boredom in Ithaca, but I couldn't help but wonder what was stopping him? It could be his family that he does not want to leave, but if it is that, then why couldn't they travel with him? He makes a great point in lines 22-22 when he says "How dull it is to pause, to make an end, to rust unburnished, not to shine in use! As to breathe were life!" He doesn't want to slow down and live such a boring life anymore, he has a hunger to go out and see the world. Ulysses feels like he is wasting away his life in Ithaca when there is so much adventure inside him left. If Ulysses never actually does go out and adventure the world, then it is rather depressing to think that he isn't putting his adventurous personality to use. Although the poem does refer to him as a "grey spirit" Ulysses speaks as if his life is useless without adventure, so old age would not be a logical excuse for him not to travel. His son, Telemachus would take over the thrown for him so he would be leaving Ithaca in good hands. With this into consideration, I believe if Ulysses feels so strongly about leaving Ithaca for adventure, then not too much is actually stopping him. What does he truly have to lose?
ReplyDeleteHailey, I really like your question about why Ulysses does not follow his dream to travel, and after reading the poem again, I think Ulysses is more infatuated by his memories out on the the sea than he is of actually venturing out again. Like you said, he lays out valid reasons, such as how capable his son is of ruling the island, that would allow him to venture out into the ocean without guilt. Another reason Ulysses may refrain from leaving is evident in "I am a part of all that I have met" which means that Ulysses could never find satisfaction in a single destination, because he "belongs" to several places.
DeleteWhile reading this I immediately sensed the obvious dissatisfaction Ulysses feels with his current life. I also feel as though he doesn't want to become a "has been", in line 5 he describes the people of his kingdom, "That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me." By saying that these people do not know him he is saying that they only know of the things he has done and are not aware of his restlessness that has emerged during his time at the throne. This desire to continue to travel and be known for the things he's doing rather than what he has done is revealed once more in line 11, "Vexed the dim sea: I am become a name;" His becoming a name is basically like saying that he is now a household name, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. Being a household name is good because his great travels caused him to be known by everyone, but on the other hand he now feels as though he has become just a name in stories that everyone tells of him. He no longer travels the way he used to which made him so popular and he now yearns to be the Ulysses that does the things that everyone knows him for once again, not the one who sits around on his throne feeling restless and dissatisfied with his life.
ReplyDeleteLindsey-
DeleteI am glad I read your comment because you seemed to be the only one to have interpreted the poem as I did. Based on his description of his people as "ragged" and "savage", Odysseus does not admire them or appreciate them as a good king should. He also describes the task of ruling them as a waste of his talent. Maybe he has became cocky as a result of people knowing of his "name" and his accomplishments. Is it right for a king to abandon his people for the sole purpose of travelling? Maybe he should leave that task to those who are young and have not had their chance to explore yet, such as his son.
My favorite thing about this poem was the strong sense of determination. It seems that Ulysses is always striving for better. Tennyson emphasizes this throughout the poem by starting it off with an idle king and the negative things that go along with it, explaining the great things about travel throughout, and ending it with, in my opinion, the strongest phrase of the poem, "...but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." This phrase reminds me of the saying "If there's a will, there's a way." This pretty much says that if you want it bad enough, you will go forward, explore, and experience, but never slow down. Ending the poem with this phrase emphasizes the much determination that Ulysses has for a better life.
ReplyDeleteI didn't look at the poem in this way until I read your comment. I really like your idea and how you explained the poem to move in sort of shifts. I agree with you that this poem withholds a strong sense of determination and you can tell Ulysses is not the type to settle. Ulysses seems to me like the type to fight to the death for what he wants and believes is right. In this case I think that Ulysses is fighting for a fulfilled life, better than the one he is currently living. He is realizing that it is never too late to start over with something much more meaningful.
DeleteThe speaker's curious and yearning tone is Tennyson's Ulysses reminded me of Edna Pontellier's "awakening" because both characters want something that they are denied. Clearly, Ulysses desires to venture out into the ocean rather than remain on the island of "barren crags." I believe the poem captures the idea of "carpe diem." For example, "I will drink Life to the lees" exemplifies the narrator's enthusiasm for fleeting passion. Again, I remembered a lot about Edna in the poem because of certain similarities, like the desire for the ocean, which represents freedom. A major shift occurs in line 49 when readers finally realize that the speaker is addressing another old person rather than simply thinking out loud. The shift to "you and I" implies that the speaker is talking to someone who can empathize with him because their similar old age connects them. This gives the speaker's plans more gravitas when seen from the point of view of one friend sharing with a confident, but at the same time it also creates a misleading mood because the scene is presented as two old men talking nonsense to one another, which goes along with Hailey's comment about how insincere the speaker feels about his plans.
ReplyDeleteNancy, this is an interesting view that I had never thought to consider. You are right in that they both yearn for something they are denied and only until death do they receive what they want. For Edna, it was her escape from society and for the speaker in "Ulysses", it was the travel of a new world. I viewed this poem a little differently in that I thought it described death, and shed a new light into the travels of the speaker. I wouldn't say he was seeking out this travel, because if this travel occurs after death, it is inevitable. Even if I approached the poem differently, I can definitely see what you are saying in that there is a shift that is prevalent and parallels between this poem and Edna's "awakening".
DeleteOne of the first things I noticed about the poem "Ulysses", is the parallel between Ithaca and its "barren crags" (line 2), and the speaker. The King that the poem refers to, is nearing his end and is clearly old and almost to the point of being barren. Thoughout the poem, the speaker describes the transition between nearing death and the afterlife that accompanies it. "I cannot rest from travel: I will drink" (line 6) could be referring to the inability to choose the time of death. Life is constantly in motion and when death finally knocks upon his door, he has no time to rest, only to "drink". As a King, he has had, and has taken, the opportunity to travel and see the "cities of men". Instead of highlighting and developing upon his past, he now focuses on the "untravell'd world whose margin fades" (line 20). This line is especially significant because it provides evidence to the speaker nearing death. This "untravell'd" world could be referring to an afterlife for the King, a world without men, and a world nearer to the gods. Margins are used to separate and a margin fading is the his life's closing. Gods are especially prevalent in "Ulysses" as the speaker not only highlights them (third stanza) but also alludes to them when he mentions the "Hyades" (Line 10), nymphs and daughters of Atlas. This is significant because Atlas, in mythology, was said to hold up the heavens. Now, as Death closes in, the margin between the worlds fade, and the speaker is free to roam the heavens in "eternal silence" (line 27) and sail among the stars.
ReplyDeleteRobert, I missed many of the references to the gods besides the one where he literally used the word. Most of the poem is him discussing the effects of aging and his desire to have one last adventure. Are you saying that he references the gods so many times because as he is dying, he is leaving the mortal world and entering the world of the gods? One further reference to the afterlife that I saw was in lines 63-64, “It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles/ And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.” I believe this to be referencing the Isles of the Blessed, which in Greek Mythology, are an area inside of Elysium three times in three different lives. Elysium is the place for those who were especially close to the gods. I’m unclear on whether Achilles made it the the Isles of the Blessed, but I know he was sent to Elysium. It could be that this line is referring to Elysium as a whole instead of the Isles. Perhaps the impact of this line is to suggest that the company of men that he is sailing with are all good men, worthy of the good afterlife. This would give him a reason to not fear death.
DeleteI really liked this poem because of the male view it gave of a seemingly similar position to that of Edna's. Ulysses seemed dissatisfied from the beginning because once he had tasted adventure and freedom, he could never go back to staying in one place. Much like Edna, he wanted to give up his forced position as a leader and drop everything to go out to the sea and see what else there was so life. Maybe it is because of the cultural bias, but it is kind of funny how Edna was seen weak and like an outcast when she abandoned her role, yet when Ulysses abandoned his it seemed kind of heroic and respectable. I also think it was interesting that you can read the whole poem and yet the actual theme is seen in the last line,"to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
ReplyDeleteRaxel, I didn't make the Awakening connection so I thought this was a really interesting observation. You're so right in how Edna wanting to venture out and make new discoveries is seen as improper and wrong while Ulysses is seen as strong and heroic even though he would be abandoning an entire kingdom. I think it's interesting that the male version of Edna's situation is viewed as more societally acceptable and brave than Edna's even though she was essentially facing that same feeling of being trapped in her own life. Neither Edna or Ulysses fear death and I think that's important to note because it highlights Ulysses point that breathing does not equal living which is made in lines 23-24. Both of these characters will give up their lives, but they will not give up themselves.
DeleteWhen reading, I never considered the parallel to The Awakening. I am glad you pointed this out because it brings new meaning to both pieces of literature. I think the difference in attitude towards how Edna and Ulysses desire for freedom and the sea can be explained more by the fact that Ulysses has done great things already and is respected by all who have heard of him. Edna has never really accomplished anything very important. Her desire for freedom is seen as a childish whim through the eyes of Victorian society, but Ulysses' desires are the same desires that made him so great.
DeleteI like that you brought this up. This poem is expressing an essential truth for all great thinkers: We must travel, geographically and intellectually in order to have a meaningful life. Edna longed for adventure and because she was a woman, she was denied access to adventure. Robert has access and a right to "seek a newer world"; Edna is denied this. This oppression is key in understanding Edna as a complex character.
DeleteIn reading Tennyson's "Ulysses", I thought that the speaker really romanticized his previous adventures and this made him get so caught up in memories that being unable to be an adventurous hero was sucking the life out of him. He hated sitting in Ithaca among his citizens of a "savage race" and felt that it was a "vile" thing to "store and hoard" himself from traveling (lines. 28-29). He looked at Ithaca as a sort of prison that was keeping him from adventuring around the world. He used metaphors comparing his travels to drinks when he said "I cannot rest from travel: I will drink life to the lees"(lines 6-7) and when he said "And drunk delight of battle with my peers"(line 16). These metaphors make travel and adventure seem like life necessities for him, they nourish him and give him life in the same way that food and drink do. The yearning and desperation Ulysses feels to travel and make new discoveries again are apparent throughout the poem and can really be seen in the diction such as "roaming"(line 12), "desire"(line 30), and "strong in will"(line 70). In the last stanza, Ulysses seems to embark on some sort of adventure and tries to convince his old friends to come along with him. He says that they are old and near the end of their lives, but "some work of noble note may yet be done"(line 52) which shows how determined Ulysses is to make his life a heroic one; even though it's almost over, he still wants it to end in an adventure. This last stanza confused me a little because I'm not sure if Ulysses embarked on an actual journey or if it was a metaphor for him journeying into the afterlife. I started thinking it might be the afterlife when it was saying "the long day wanes: the slow moon climbs"(line 55) because I thought it was comparing the cycle of life to a day and how he was making his final adventure into death. However, I questioned that interpretation when he said "To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths of all the western stars, until I die"(lines 60-61) because that makes it sound like he's still living and adventuring. Overall, I just couldn't really figure out if the journey was literal or metaphorical so if anyone has any thoughts on that, I would love to hear them!
ReplyDeleteI think it's both. Ulysses wants out of the dullness of Ithaca. The seas ahead are dark and broad, but he had done this before, and he has his mariners with him to face the battle. I think he knows he and his sailors are near the end of their lives, so in addition to a grand adventure in this life, they want to enter the adventure of the afterlife together as well. Ulysses has already been throughout lots of the world around him. Sailing the seas is nothing new, he just wants a new place to go. Whatever physical place that may be will take them to a completely new adventure, the afterlife. The last thing he wants to do is die on Ithaca. "It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles," solidifies for me that this quest he wants to take on is not just for enjoyment in this life, but to be prepared for the next one.
DeleteAs I read the poem, I saw it as Ulysses reminiscing on events in his past lifetime. What I mainly got out of the poem was that Ulysses had enjoyed all his experiences traveling the seas. He fills that he sees no good come from saying in one spot for too long and it is better to travel and explore the earth then to only wonder what is out there. I think Ulysses is almost a type of symbol for everyone who wanders and roams the earth searching for fulfillment. I think that this poem serves as a lesson for people to live every last bit of life that you have before it's too late and don't waste it thinking of what could have been. This is a perfect example of Carpe Diem and the effect it might have on the reader could be life altering. In lines 7-9 he says "...All times I have enjoy’d / Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those / That loved me, and alone, on shore...". I think what the writer is trying to get at is that even through the rough times, you will always have someone by your side to help bring you through it and the outcome very well might lead to some of the best times of your life. All in all, I think this poem serves as a lesson for readers of all ages.
ReplyDeleteHey Kaitlyn,
DeleteI love how you tied it to carpe diem! I believe too that Ulysses is searching constant fulfillment and knowledge about the world around him. He is a great traveler, captain, and adventurer--but is he a great king? Would you rather want a king who stays by his people at all times to direct them, or would you rather want a king who is gone, almost selfishly exploring? I am ambivalent about my feelings toward Ulysses, but without a doubt I respect his desire to self-actualize.
While reading "Ulysses," I had mixed feelings about the speaker. It seems irresponsible for him to abandon his duties as king and go on another adventure, but he does speak of his son who will take "the sceptre and the isle." I feel like Ulysses, as a king, should be devoted to his people until the end instead of going off and doing whatever he likes.
ReplyDeleteIf we can ignore Ulysses' negligence towards his kingdom, I find the poem very inspirational. "Come, my friends/ 'T is not too late to seek a newer world." Though Ulysses and whomever he is speaking to are old and will die soon, the speaker still has hope for the rest of his life. This poem and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" share the theme of living fully until death. I hope that when I am old and dying, I will have the motivation that Ulysses does to not live idly or give up on life.
Andrew, this is precisely why I love this poem. Ulysses acknowledges that he and his men have physically been "Made weak by time and fate," but they are still "strong in will" So he refuses to "rust unburnish'd,". and instead "to follow knowledge like a sinking star". Carpe Diem isn't just for the young; it's imperative that even the aging "rage, rage against the dying of the light"
DeleteIn “Ulysses” by Tennyson, the attitude is condescending. First, he states that it is a waste of his talents and time to watch over his people, which should of the highest priority for him, and he also calls his people a “savage race” that hoard, sleep, and feed (much like animals). He also describes his wife as “aged”, not a term of endearment for a couple that is married, have a son, and have ruled a kingdom together. Next, he boasts of his accomplishments and his famous reputation. When he addresses his son and tells him that he will have the responsibility of the “common duties” of governing the people as opposed to the adventures that his father plans to embark on. He also says that his son is “decent not to fail in offices of tenderness”, once again implying that he does not have complete faith in his son’s abilities as a king. In the third stanza, Odysseus goes on what in modern day would be a mid-life crisis rant about how he and his friends should relive their glory days when they “took the thunder and the sunshine, and opposed free hearts” and set off to “sail beyond the sunset.” While a wise king would understand his role as a ruler of the people, Odysseus’ sole priority is to travel and go on adventures with his friends. This poem could be the equivalent of a letter from a 50-year-old man telling his family that he has decided to go to Vegas to pursue his old dream of being in a rock band with his high school buddies.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe very first thing I noticed about this poem was the allusion in the title, “Ulysses.” Ulysses is the the Latin name for Odysseus, one of the great heroes of Greek whose exploits span "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey". This at once creates a feeling promises of heroism and adventure. This is dispelled in the first couple of lines through the use of the words “idle” and “still”. It makes it seem as though the adventures of the great hero are over and he has been sitting on his home island of Ithaca ruling, greying without accomplishing anything more of note. I almost pitied him as he recalled the foreign lands he once visited, and the thrill of the battlefield during the Trojan War. These memories bring to mind something that once once great, but has fallen to the decay of time. If the first stanza recalls past glories, the third speaks of possible future glories. There is a distinct shift in attitude as the speaker moves from wistful nostalgia to optimistic hope. He makes it seem as though he, and his companions of old, have one last great adventure left in them. I found it inspiring that, even though he is old and no longer the man he once was, he is not quite ready to give up on life. The last line, “To strive, to seek, to find, and not yield,” is my favorite line in the poem and seems a good goal for any. To me, it serves as a theme of not to sit on past glories and watch the rest of your life go by, but to go out and adventure and push yourself until death takes you.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Ulysses, I noticed that the speaker is unhappy simply sitting idle. He yearns to be out on the sea like he was in his young age. His travels have made such an impact on him, and he feels he has also made an impact on those he has come across in his travels. I believe that he is trying to keep his dignity in his old age. He is reflecting on his past, as older people usually do because they can't do what they used to. He would rather push himself to the death by traveling than sit and waste his life. Personally, I think that not traveling and wasting away would kill him. Being unable to do what one loves kills ones spirit, and a dead spirit leads to death. It's best to find what you love and let it kill you. Carpe diem!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read Ulysses, I saw allusion to Greek mythology not only with the name, but there are allusions to Homer's "The Illiad" and "The Odyssey". He mentions the Greek god of the Underworld, Hades, as well as the city of Troy, the home of Homer's epic hero Odysseus. Tennyson could be using the General Ulysses S. Grant as a parallel to the legendary epic hero Odysseus in the poem. The poem's title hints that it could be a hopeful or praising poem of the Civil War general, but that is soon shot down by the diction of the first stanza, mainly the words "idle", "barren", and "savage." If this is paralleling Odysseus and General Grant, it parallels them after their years of combat, Odysseus watching over his kingdom of Ithica, and Grant as President of the United States. They look back on their memories of glory and combat with a "carpe diem" type attitude, saying that they had seized their moments and now are living in the nostalgia of what once was.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read Ulysses, I saw allusion to Greek mythology not only with the name, but there are allusions to Homer's "The Illiad" and "The Odyssey". He mentions the Greek god of the Underworld, Hades, as well as the city of Troy, the home of Homer's epic hero Odysseus. Tennyson could be using the General Ulysses S. Grant as a parallel to the legendary epic hero Odysseus in the poem. The poem's title hints that it could be a hopeful or praising poem of the Civil War general, but that is soon shot down by the diction of the first stanza, mainly the words "idle", "barren", and "savage." If this is paralleling Odysseus and General Grant, it parallels them after their years of combat, Odysseus watching over his kingdom of Ithica, and Grant as President of the United States. They look back on their memories of glory and combat with a "carpe diem" type attitude, saying that they had seized their moments and now are living in the nostalgia of what once was.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting that Lord Tennyson chose Greek Mythology to convey his message. Even something and someone so grand and powerful is finding the world to fall short of his expectations. Ulysses has seen it all. He has been in battle and ruled Ithaca for many years. But even he wants more. In his grand world, or as it would seem to everyone else, there are these "barren crags." I can see the land just beaten away in this image. I think Ulysses is talking about he feels himself in the way he describes his surroundings. I think the author chose Ulysses because he rules an island. It is a symbol of isolation. Yes he is the ruler, but there is not much room to grow. It is a way of telling us that we must always strive to grow, no matter our age or our past. Life is barren without movement, and despite movement growing harder in old age, it's worth getting moving to avoid a stale end to your life. There are many times the sea is mentioned (another use for the island). It is the only path to new things. It is described as dim, dark, and broad. But this is supposed to be the promised land of adventure of Ulysses, so I think the ominous imagery foreshadows the inevitability of death. Whatever may be out there may be the last thing Ulysses sees, but at least it won't be among barren crags.
ReplyDelete