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DMosca - Victorian Poetry and the Dramatic Monologue - Tennyson's Ulysses, last part
by - (2013-05-17)
Up to 5A - Victorian Poetry and the Dramatic Monologue
Analysis of the second part of Tennyson's Ulysses
In the second part of his dramatic monologue, the dramatis personae, Ulysses, introduces a new character to the reader: Telemachus. According to the myth, Telemachus is Ulysses' son and it seems as if the father treasured the son (repetition of possessive adjectives and pronouns mine own, my, well-loved of me).
In particular, Ulysses appreciates some of Telemachus' qualities such as prudence, sense of duty, tenderness and mildness with people, that make him a potential good monarch. Indeed, Ulysses has just decided to leave his kingdom from the institutional and geographical point of view (I leave the scepter and the isle), requiring Telemachus to fulfill his role. His decision sounds like the natural result of an elementary consideration: He works his work, I mine. In a way, Telemachus represents Ulysses'alter-ego and the characters stand for the conflict between mind (Telemachus' rationality) and hearth (Ulysses' romantic passion for adventure and strong emotions), a typical topic of the Victorian literature.
After all, also considering the most important duties of the king, the reader recognizes numerous references to the typical leanings of the Victorian Age: the submission of people to the useful and the good reminds him of utilitarianism, while the adoration of Gods and the desire of affirmation make him think about the importance of Puritanism.
In the following scene, the dramatis personae creates the setting of the voyage: it seems as if he watched the vessel from a distance and the view of his crew made him think about the adventures they lived together. What strikes most the reader's attention is the use of the words souls, free hearts and free foreheads: through metonymy, Ulysses puts into focus the heroic spirit of the group: they are not afraid of risks and putting themselves to test, despite their age. On the contrary, since they feel that the end is near (slow moon, sunset, lights twinkling) they absolutely want to break limits in the name of knowledge, despite dangers of navigation.
The closing scene sounds like a confirmation of Ulysses and his crew's braveness: even if their bodies are weak and they can no more "move earth and heaven", their desire of knowledge and exploration is still vivid and cannot discourage them from living their lives in depth.
In the second part of his dramatic monologue, the dramatis personae, Ulysses, introduces a new character to the reader: Telemachus. According to the myth, Telemachus is Ulysses' son and it seems as if the father treasured the son (repetition of possessive adjectives and pronouns mine own, my, well-loved of me).
In particular, Ulysses appreciates some of Telemachus' qualities such as prudence, sense of duty, tenderness and mildness with people, that make him a potential good monarch. Indeed, Ulysses has just decided to leave his kingdom from the institutional and geographical point of view (I leave the scepter and the isle), requiring Telemachus to fulfill his role. His decision sounds like the natural result of an elementary consideration: He works his work, I mine. In a way, Telemachus represents Ulysses'alter-ego and the characters stand for the conflict between mind (Telemachus' rationality) and hearth (Ulysses' romantic passion for adventure and strong emotions), a typical topic of the Victorian literature.
After all, also considering the most important duties of the king, the reader recognizes numerous references to the typical leanings of the Victorian Age: the submission of people to the useful and the good reminds him of utilitarianism, while the adoration of Gods and the desire of affirmation make him think about the importance of Puritanism.
In the following scene, the dramatis personae creates the setting of the voyage: it seems as if he watched the vessel from a distance and the view of his crew made him think about the adventures they lived together. What strikes most the reader's attention is the use of the words souls, free hearts and free foreheads: through metonymy, Ulysses puts into focus the heroic spirit of the group: they are not afraid of risks and putting themselves to test, despite their age. On the contrary, since they feel that the end is near (slow moon, sunset, lights twinkling) they absolutely want to break limits in the name of knowledge, despite dangers of navigation.
The closing scene sounds like a confirmation of Ulysses and his crew's braveness: even if their bodies are weak and they can no more "move earth and heaven", their desire of knowledge and exploration is still vivid and cannot discourage them from living their lives in depth.