Analysis of Lord Tennyson's Ulysses (19/4/12)

The poem Ulysses was published in 1833 by Lord Alfred Tennyson, some weeks after his dear friend Arthur Hallam's death.
The poem is a dramatic monologue and the main character is Ulysses and he himself is the narrative voice. Reading the dramatic monologue, the reader understands Ulysses is making a reflection about his present life.
Lord Tennyson's Ulysses is particular, because he is an old man. It emerges right from the beginning of the poem: Ulysses talks about an "idle king", because of his age.
In the first line there is also a reference to Victorian idea of economy ("little profits"), based on utilitarism. The main character goes on presenting his situation: his land his sterile and stony, his wife is old and unattractive and there is not fire in the fireplace. All these elements show a disperate and unlivable place. He does not feel at ease here: he has to govern people that do not know him, because he has been far from home for a long time, and he does not appreciate them because he defines them "a savage race": they are only interested into the lowest life functions, that is to eat, sleep and to have more material goods. They are not able to understand Ulysses and the corruption of society is underlined not only in a "moral" way (people's of Ithaca lightness), but also by laws, that are unequal.
In the following scene Ulysses says he can not rest and that he wants to live his life fully, unlike his people do. He has also lived fully during his voyage because he says he enjoyed and also he greatly suffered. The concept of living life in his every aspect is underlined by the repetition of the word "greatly", that presents a moral enjoyment of life. He underlines he did these things with people that loved him and understood him (it is a reference to the savage people that do not know him) but also sometimes he was alone. In these lines (lines 6-9) there are all the times: there is present, past and future. Present situation is characterized by an inability of action (there is the verb "I cannot rest"). In the following sentence there is a future verb ("I will drink") that is characterized by something that is not sure. Past condition ("I have enjoy'd") is remembered as a good period: Ulysses has understood something from good moments and also from bad ones.
At line 10 the classical man emerges: Ulysses was used to watch the sky in order to know if it would rain.
Ulysses says he "has become a name": it underlines the existencial dimension and also he has become famous and the symbol of the search of knowledge.
At line 12 he says he has got an hungry heart: he is a passionate man, who always wants to discover something new. In this lines the duration form of the verb ("roaming") and the adverb "always" underline that his desire of knowledge can not be appeased and that it will control him for all the rest of his life.
Ulysses has not only seen new places and people, but he has really learnt something new and his discoveries have became a part of him. During his voyages he has also discovered something new about himself.
At line 16 Ulysses remembers his great past. He remembers the battle of Troy: it is an image of joy and movement, underlined also by the adjective "windy", that defines Troy.
At line 18 Ulysses says that he is a part of everything he has seen: it underlines everything he has lived is a part of him but the following sentence, introduced by "yet", underlines that the world is wider than people thinks. He knows it, but he does not want to abandone his desire of knowledge.
At line 22 the verb "to pause" is in opposition with the verb "to move" of the previous line: here Ulysses expresses his disperation because of the end of the period of the adventures. To express this thought, the character uses a metaphor: he compares his life to a sword, that is useful only when it is used and the warrior takes care of it. Ulysses thinks that his life has not a sense now that he has came back to Ithaca and that it could decay, becoming static.
At line 24, Ulysses goes on thinking about the sense of life: it is not only to breath or to wait something ("piled" may be used for objects, so it is a reference to people that think life must be only preserved, being scared of everything) and he says its life is not a real life because he can not do what gives a sense to his existence.
At line 30 Ulysses defines himself like "a grey spirit" because of his old age, but the term "spirit" refers to his strong will and passion, that make him still alive.
At line 31 Ulysses uses a similitude to express his strong desire of knowledge: as a come that crosses the sky and passes on the world and can see everything of it, Ulysses wants to explore the whole world without limits. At line 32 Ulysses underlines that one of the limits is human thought, that considers everything finished and limited, while he thinks that man can do everything he wants (Victorian idea of man).