Ulysses
Erin Weddle
English 1302-1229
Professor Kyle
March 19, 2013
Ulysses
The poem Ulysses by Alfred Tennyson is a dialogue spoken by the character Ulysses, expressing his boredom of his home land of Ithaca and his desire to continue sailing the sea. Ulysses has been home for some time and, he realizes being with his family and ruling his people is not enough for him; he wants more. He knows that he is getting old, so he wants to travel before his time runs out. Throughout this poem, Ulysses is explaining to the reader how he cannot contain his thirst for another adventure, and he will never be satisfied. Therefore, the main theme of the poem Ulysses is dissatisfaction.
The first time Ulysses mentions that he is unsatisfied occurs when he says, “I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees:” (Ulysses 5-6). This is beginning evidence that Ulysses cannot refrain his desire to continue on his adventures. He wants to “drink life to the lees” or live life to the fullest. Ulysses feels he cannot do that if he stays home and remains an “idle” king to Ithaca, leaving him unsatisfied. Ulysses continues to elaborate on his desire to travel when he says, “For always roaming with a hungry heart much have I seen and known”(12-13). He has traveled many places and gotten to know them well, but he still wants to travel further. When he says, “I am apart of all I have met”(18), it seems as if he is suggesting he left parts of himself everywhere he went; he does not belong in Ithaca.
Ulysses reiterates how unsatisfied and bored he is by saying, “How dull it is to pause, to make an end, To rust unburnished, not to shine in use! As though to breathe were life!”(22-24) Ulysses believes there is more to life than just breathing. He thinks that life should not pause, and as long as he is breathing, he shall make use of his life. When Ulysses compares pausing and making an end to life to rusting and becoming dull, he is essentially saying he does not want to rot away in
English 1302-1229
Professor Kyle
March 19, 2013
Ulysses
The poem Ulysses by Alfred Tennyson is a dialogue spoken by the character Ulysses, expressing his boredom of his home land of Ithaca and his desire to continue sailing the sea. Ulysses has been home for some time and, he realizes being with his family and ruling his people is not enough for him; he wants more. He knows that he is getting old, so he wants to travel before his time runs out. Throughout this poem, Ulysses is explaining to the reader how he cannot contain his thirst for another adventure, and he will never be satisfied. Therefore, the main theme of the poem Ulysses is dissatisfaction.
The first time Ulysses mentions that he is unsatisfied occurs when he says, “I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees:” (Ulysses 5-6). This is beginning evidence that Ulysses cannot refrain his desire to continue on his adventures. He wants to “drink life to the lees” or live life to the fullest. Ulysses feels he cannot do that if he stays home and remains an “idle” king to Ithaca, leaving him unsatisfied. Ulysses continues to elaborate on his desire to travel when he says, “For always roaming with a hungry heart much have I seen and known”(12-13). He has traveled many places and gotten to know them well, but he still wants to travel further. When he says, “I am apart of all I have met”(18), it seems as if he is suggesting he left parts of himself everywhere he went; he does not belong in Ithaca.
Ulysses reiterates how unsatisfied and bored he is by saying, “How dull it is to pause, to make an end, To rust unburnished, not to shine in use! As though to breathe were life!”(22-24) Ulysses believes there is more to life than just breathing. He thinks that life should not pause, and as long as he is breathing, he shall make use of his life. When Ulysses compares pausing and making an end to life to rusting and becoming dull, he is essentially saying he does not want to rot away in
Cited: Tennyson, Alfred. “Ulysses.” The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. New York: Boston, 2011. 1347-49. Print.