Tennyson was the most popular poet of the Victorian period. He was the voice of his age; a favourite of Queen Victoria, a respected public figure, he published prolifically for more than fifty years. Appointed Poet Laureate in 1850 in succession to Wordsworth, he was extravagantly adulated, his notoriety being increased by his colourful appearance, his gruff manner, and a booming voice that electrified listeners when read his poetry.
His greatest work is Ulysses. This poem was written in October 1883, less the three weeks after the death of Arthur Henry Hallam, Tennyson's close friend at Cambridge University. The sudden death of his friend seemed to Tennyson an overwhelming calamity and inspired a poem which expressed, in the poet's words, "the need of going forward and braving the struggle of life". Tennyson was only 24 years old, but he explicitly identified with an elderly Ulysses, eager to start his last voyage.
The poem is based on a combination of Homer's account in his Odyssey with Dante's version of Ulysses' story. According to Dante, Ulysses never returned to his island home from Ithaca afer the fall of Troy; instead he persuaded some of his followers to seek next experiences and proposed a voyage of exploration towards the west beyond the strait of Gibraltar. Tennyson, on the contrary, pictures Ulysses in Ithaca some time after his reunion with his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus and, presumably, after he had resumed the administrative responsibilities involved in governing his kingdom.
The text can be divided in four main section.
In the first section, lines 1 - 21, is presented the psychology of Ulysses: he is passionate, has an angry heart, he cannot rest. He depends on travel. As the poem begins, Ulysses has returned to his kingdom, Ithaca, having had a long, eventful journey home after fighting in the Trojan War. Confronted again by domestic life, Ulysses expresses his lack of contentment, including his indifference toward the "savage race" (line 4) that he governs.
At line 18 A. Tennyson expresses a Postmodern concept: there are no origins. Through the metaphor at line 19 Tennyson compares in an implicitly analogy experiences with an arch. Tension of arch is the energy that a person has to put to reach his goals.
At line 20 margin, is the simble of passion to move forwards, to make voyage to get knowledge.
The anaphoric construction at line 21 conveys a feeling of not have an end.
In the second section, lines 22 - 32, intelligent reader knows the psychology of such dramatic personae, the total perception of life which is living in perception of place. Ulysses is expressing a crucial opinion.
The exclamation mark at line 23 conveys the sufferance of Ulysses speaking voice. It is a climatic accent.
The expression every hours at line 26 expresses a idea of fragmentised time
Ulysses want to follow a knowledge that is beyond utmost of human thoughts (line 31)
In the third section, lines 33 - 43, Ulysses introduces the figure of his son: Telemachus.
The sense of possession is underlined by the alliteration of possessive pronouns my-mine added to the word own.
The sceptre is meaning for royal position, power; the isle for material goods.
Ulysses judges people in Ithaca (lines 37-38)
At line 43 A. Tennyson is taking distance to Victorian rules
In the last section, lines 44 - 70, Ulysses goes on speaking pretend his mariners listen to him
Mariners are presented as souls. Souls, people that have suffered. Probably it's not midday (dark broad seas)
In whatever situation mariners shares experiences with him. Old age is yet: The end of the day is compared to the end of the life.
Like mariners that still navigate at the sunset, people have not to stop striving, seeking, finding and yielding.
Tennyson resurrects a myth, figure of Ulysses; through Ulysses perspective states his opinion.
Through Ulysses perspective A. Tennyson critics Victorians' utilitarianism.
All in all this poem is a dramatic monologue.