"Ulysses"

Paper Summary:

Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem, "Ulysses" was written after a turbulent time in Tennyson's life. Prior to writing the poem, Tennyson had become close friends with Arthur Hallam, who was regarded as the most brilliant man of his Cambridge generation. In 1933, Hallam died suddenly while he and Tennyson were in Vienna. This paper shows that, although Hallam's death nearly crushed Tennyson, it also provided the stimulus for a great outburst of some of the finest poems he ever wrote, including "Ulysses". The paper explains how this poem is an expression of grief as well as an elegy for Tennyson's friend by examining the poem stanza by stanza.

From the Paper:

"Here we encounter a hero who never made it back home to Ithaca because he wanted to explore new lands and seek out knowledge. In the first stanza, the speaker admits that he "cannot rest from travel" (6) and that he is "always roaming with a hungry heart" (12). Here we see how the speaker is driven to explore the world, which means uncovering every aspect of life and living that he can. He has also known "cities of men/And manners, climates, councils, governments" (13-4) and considers himself a part of all that he has met. (18) With this passage, we see how the speaker truly enjoys his life and sees it as something positive not only for him but for others as well."

More papers on "Ulysses":

• Analytical Essay # 7613 : "Characterization in Tennyson's 'Ulysses'"
• Comparison Essay # 71200 : "Ulysses" and "Dubliners"
• Book Review # 96391 : "Ulysses"--An Analysis"
• Analytical Essay # 2195 : "Leopold Bloom the "Sirens" Episode of Joyce's "Ulysses"."

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