Ulysses meaning Odysseus Essay Example for Free

Ulysses meaning Odysseus Essay â€Å"Ulysses† is a dramatic monologue written by one of the most famous poet Alfred Lord Tennyson in 1883. â€Å"Ulysses† meaning Odysseus in Greek mythology was the king of Ithaca. Odysseus was the leader of the Greek army. His wife was Penelope and his son was Telemechus. Ulysses is characterized as not only very intelligent, heroic and eloquent but also very arrogant. Odysseus and his men sailed into Troy to fight what turned out to be a lengthy battle. Later, Odysseus and the Greek army conquered Troy and set out on their voyage home. On their journey they encountered a series of adventures. Odysseus shares some grievances including dissatisfaction, desire for change, nostalgia and age concern. Tennyson’s characterization of Ulysses with grief, feelings, expressions and misfortunes are reflected in the poem. Odysseus shared beauty and success during his youth. He had an extremely successful past life. He was a handsome man in his prime and endured many exciting adventures. Ulysses describes how he â€Å"drunk delight of battle† (Tennyson 16) with his peers. He talks of â€Å"souls that have toil’d, and wrought, and thought with me† (Tennyson line 46) and the use of rhyme suggests the harmony of his relationship with his peers. This explains that he had endured much suffering and the use of the word ‘thought’ introduces the point that he was a great thinker; he was not only practical with his hands, but also good on his mind. His nostalgia and desire to return to his active past is expressed when he parallels himself to a sword and says, â€Å"how dull it is to pause, to make an end, to rust unburnished, not to shine in use! † (Tennyson lines 22 23) Ulysses is able to dream of one last, glorious adventure within the potential to go out and recapture former self. Ulysses is a poem which explores multiple interactions in which the themes vary on mortality. Motivation and age concern are the part of the poem’s themes as Tennyson explain in the lines â€Å"but every hour is saved from eternal silence† (Tennyson lines 26 27) which portrays the death in eternal silence and he is almost preventing it by making the most of his time. â€Å"For always roaming with a hungry heart† (Tennyson line 12) shows his motivation and also indicates his loss of love as he describes â€Å"match’d with an aged wife† (Kincaid) an ironic image of describing his wife who had been loyal to him during the vast amount of time while he was away on adventure. He also states that the people of his island are a â€Å"savage race† (Kincaid) and says that they â€Å"hoard, and sleep, and feed† (Kincaid). He goes on to say that they â€Å"know not me† (Kincaid) drawing barriers between him and them, as though he is superior. When he says â€Å"I am become a name† (Tennyson 11) shows clear pity as well. The poem is also like a speech given by Odysseus to his sailors, rebelling against his life and conformity, after he reclaimed the throne in Ithaca and explains why he wants to leave Ithaca forever. Ulysses believes that his son ‘Telemechus’ is better for Ithaca than he would be and placed him in charge as the King of Ithaca. Ulysses says â€Å"There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail† (Tennyson line 44) which means he also feels the ocean his boat calling him for one more adventure. He tries to inspire his men by saying â€Å"Come, my friends, T is not too late to seek a newer world† (Tennyson lines 56 57). The poem is ended by Ulysses telling his men â€Å"not to yield† (Tennyson 70) but to rebel and never conform to society. Tennyson is very successful in creating a very powerful image of Ulysses. The poem celebrates the indomitable spirit of a man. Ulysses loves travelling by sea and he is used to a life of adventure and change. The life of a family man with his responsibilities of a king is dull for him. He yearns to recover the glory of the past by returning to Ithaca. He tries to persuade his earlier fellow men to join him in his new adventure. He wants to break free of his monotonous life and return to a life of excitement. At the end Ulysses placed his son in charge as the King of Ithaca and set his sails west to an untold adventure. Works Cited James R, Kincaid. â€Å"Ulysses† Victotianweb. org 28 March 2001. 29 March 2009 http://www. victorianweb. org/authors/tennyson/kincaid/ch3d. html Tennyson, Alfred. â€Å"Ulysses† Readprint. com 29 March 2009 http://www. readprint. com/work-1426/Lord-Alfred-Tennyson