Learning Paths » 5A Interacting
· who is speaking and to whom
· how old he is
· where he is
· what he is setting out on
Ulysses is speaking to us. He is an old man who lives on Itaca. He is a senior who doesn't accept the life on Itaca but he prefers going around the world to discover nwe lands and especcially know better himself.
2) Now read the text again, this time paying attention to the developement of the argument.
Summarize what Ulysses says and feels following the guidelines on the left. For each point consider also Tennyson's vocabulary indicating which words and phrases, in particular, reveal in the hero's traites and attitudes. The first point has been written for you.
lacks
Life on Ithaca (lines 2-5) It is uncivilised and... Negative adjectives such as idol, aged convey Ulysses's total dissatisfaction with life on Ithaca
His past life (6-18) -Ulysses remembers his adventures and especially when he discovers the real values of life: "All times I have enjoy'd, Greatly, have suffer'd greatly";"roaming with a hungry heart, Much have I seen and known";"I am a part of all that I have met"
View of present and future (19-32)-He has promised to himself to travel again
"For ever and forever when I move"
Attitude to Telemacus (33-44)Telemacus has a different behaviour and he only lives in function of other people: "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"
Address to his mariners (45-70)He encourages his manners to make other adventures by the sea:"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"
3a) How is Ulysses portrayed in the poem?
To answer the question, consider:
His present situation
The contrast with Telemacus
What he can be taken to be symbolic of
Whether he differs from the picture we usually associate with the hero of the Odyssey
Tennyson describe Ulsses like and old man who wants only travel around the world. He doesn't accept lived on Itaca with people who want only drinking eating and having fun.
He knows himself thanks his journeis and the contrast with Telemacus is that Ulysses wants know better the world and new people, Telemacus has never left Itaca and so he doesn't accept to go away from his land. The travel is symbol of changement and also meeting new people and culture. He is a new Ulysses, not like the Homer's one because Tennyson's Ulysses want change the rules of his behaviour.
3a) What is the poet's attitude to Ulysses and Telemacus? With whom does it side?
Tennyson is iroc toward Telemacus, as the matter of fact he dedicate a few lines to him. Telemacus isn't like his father, he prefers to stay on Itaca and accept his condition.
4) The poem was composed when Tennyson was still suffering for the death of his dearest friend, A. Hallam, in 1883. Does the poem reflect a sense of loss?
Ulysses is loss and he doesn't accept to live on Itaca, on Island. Itaca is symbol of a close culture, far away other lands.
5) As you will have realised the hero's feelings are communicated through a careful choice of words.
What observations can you make about the meter and the music of the poem and the relationship with its meaning?
Ulysses tells to the reader his reflections abuot the present and the past. He is able to confess to himself that ha can resist to stay on island, especially on Itaca, he knows that life is short and so people have to die one day and he doesn't accept to stay at home to lose time in stupid and banal things. He prefers meet other people and now the world.