Formative text will concern all the subject that we’ve been studied so far:

−         Victorian Age

−         Social and economic background

−         Characteristic of the period

−         Victorian novel

−         Features of literature

Lord Alfred Tennyson referred to a both historical and mythological character.

Ulysses came back home after the voyage when he was old. In this poem Ulysses is old.

Asking the reason why Lord Tennyson chose this character

He chose a speaking voice different from the poet. He experienced a new form of poetry. The Victorina Age had a tradition on his back: the romantic tradition was not dramatic monologues – firstly used by the Victorians; will largely be used in the modern age.

When the reader reads the poem, he listens to Ulysses’ voice. When we listen to a voice that means that we are talking to someone.

We can only make assumption about who the real reader is.

When we read a dramatic monologue, we know more about the story of the character.

The text is made up of many different points that refer to different parts.

Right from the start the speaking voice, which coincide with Ulysses’ voice, makes the intelligent reader understand that he doesn’t feel well on Ithaca. The habitants have become a savage race.

Profit is an important word in Victorian Age.

He asks himself what he can do.

People are indifferent because they are savage and “know not me” ß not a really close relationship between he and the habitants.

Clear division between the others and him.

The speaking voice expresses and tries to make the reader to understand the reason why he doesn’t feel at home on Ithaca. Immediately given: I have been taking so many voyages up to now, and I can’t live stuck on a island. He wants to drink and to live to the lees (compare the way he lives now and before). He wants to live life at his full.

Dante underlines the desire of Ulysses to live the life at its fullest.

His life coincides with all his experiences. Life is made up of joy and despair.

Repetition of greatly = moral sense

Lord Tennyson uses the present perfect to refer to something that its over because he can see the consequences (risultato presente di un’azione passata)

Knowledge that he has conquered both joying and suffering.

Enjoy (significa anche godere): a very full meaning

Life experience implies entering to contact with himself and other people (according to the speaking voice). He is moving from relationship with people to relationship with landscapes. He is referring to very difficult moments in voyage (he was sailing - wind).

The references to astronomical point à theme (recognisable) = a group of stars in constellation of Taurus (foretold rain)

There is a colon (:) – explain what he wants to do

“I am become” – makes you understand what he has become now after all the experiences

He focuses the attention on what he feels it is.

èMoving to a dramatic monologue where the focus is on somebody

He has become a name – how? It tells us – “myself not least” (modern vision of life)

What has made him what he’s now à to roaming with a hungry heart – passionate experiences (not only rational)

Life is what you do

Cities of men – the people he came across

Manners – styles of having interpersonal relationships

Climate – atmosphere between the people

Councils – the way people get together to the way people administrate the country.

Myself not least – put in a key position – It tells that only going through personal experiences you can know a part of yourself

Tennyson speaks to the reader about his identity.

During the Victorian Age, class was at the centre of attention – he has become a name = everybody knows him

He enjoyed fighting. He has become honoured of all the experiences.

I am part of all I have met: TO BE – Ulysses is telling the reader about his experiences, he’s thinking about his identity

He is old à making a count of his life to find out about himself

The poem allows to see the transition from the Victorian Age to the Modern Age

Postmodern themes:

−         focus on consciousness

−         idea of becoming aware of who you are

−         identity being a result of a construction of multiple identity

Tennyson couldn’t tell people directly about passion (feelings were neglected). For the Victorians, benefits were important according to puritanism.

The Victorians had to find a compromise between what they thought and what they could express.

Ulysses is now making a count of all his life and he exploits the metaphor of the art.

Under the word experience, we can substitute life à arch: you will never know everything (Dante)

Knowledge of himself via/through the experiences we can make.

Tennyson is a middle age man.

 

Ulysses’ ability to integrate the bad and the good.

The more you integrate people’s experience, the better you explain personality (postmodern).

Tennyson’s passion and personality come to the front.

Whatever and wherever you go there is still something to discover because life is like an arch (third part). There is not end to knowledge.

Structure:

1° part: introduction of the character where we understand he is old

2° part: experiences (past life). They made him what he is now.

3° part: reflection on what one can do in life even if he is old.

The more I move (travel), the more I understand that I can’t grasp the border (afferrare)

èThere is not stop to novel

Forever and forever: time dimension encompasses (include) the space dimension (because he’s talking about travel)

The use of the exclamation mark. underlies his emotional involvement

Rusty = diventare arruginito because he is old

He condemns people who become rusty, who stops.

He is inviting on how positive shining in use is = overcome margin

Hamletian: our life is to be or not to be

POETS DON’T EXPLAIN, THEY EXPRESS

Life is more than simple biological life.

Aware that he is old, but every hour is saved (metaphor: eternal silence is death).

Risparimare à mentalità puritana

When we live to the full, we save part of time from death.

Knowledge is living experience.

Books are living experiences à enter into contact with the text

Grey because he has made a lot of difficult experiences.

Bisogna vivere per i desideri, non per i bisogni.

He is full of passion.

Knowledge like sinking star – wide dimension of meaning

Introducing the reader to a new character

He has a close relationship with his son.

Telemachus is sensible and wise à so he has the qualities to run a country

A piccolo passi: he is more patience than him

Telemachus has got the typical Victorian qualities (patronizing attitude so he can subdue them – work for the use and the good).

Ulysses is a passionate and romantically endow character who desires to go over the limits.

Telemachus embodies typical Victorian positive character (total devoted to the useful, making profit, administering, work); focused on the sphere of common duties.

Elementi che riconducono alla storia di Ulisse:

−         Ithaca

−         Viaggi

−         Stelle

−         Achille

−         Si tengono in casa e si adorano dli dei (the gods of the house that is i Lari e i Penati)

Meaningful difference between living a life on Telemachus’ model and Ulysses’ model.

In the last part we listen to Ulysses’ voice.

Freedom is at very high cost. It is to conquer (Martin Luther King).

Sharing and interacting with experiences

Before dying we can do some note of noble (great) work à We can still do something honourable

Star of the night

La luna rappresenta l’irrazionale (romanticismo).

Through natural element the poet expresses a desire.

Happy Ilse = mythological isle where heroes gather before death

The idea of destiny is very important.