Analysis of Alfred Lord Tennyson's Poem "Ulysses"

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Poem Analysis: Tennyson’s “Ulysses”
Alfred Lord Tennyson is considered one of the most celebrated Victorian poets. Tennyson’s poems cover a wide range of subjects including medieval legends, classical mythology, nature observation, and domestic situations, among others. The richness of the imagery and description in his poems have been traced to the influences of Romantic poets and John Keats and his works have been considered a reflection of the Victorian period in their exploration of conflict between religion and science. Tennyson’s poem "Ulysses" embodies his characteristic themes of adventure, longing, and the struggle for meaning in life. Published in 1842, "Ulysses" presents the legendary Greek hero, Ulysses (or Odysseus), as an aging king who grapples with a sense of restlessness and yearning for new conquests. Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Ulysses" explores the internal struggle of a legendary hero who faces the problem of a stagnant life, devises a solution rooted in adventure and exploration, and executes his resolve by setting sail on a new journey.
The opening lines of the poem set being trapped in a monotonous existence as a ruler as the main problem that Ulysses faces. “It little profits that an idle king, By this still hearth, among these barren crags, Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole, Unequal laws unto a savage race, That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me." In the quote, Ulysses considers himself an idle king and serves as the opening of the poem. He continues to describe the current life of Ulysses as a trap for the king, who is forced to merely serve the purpose of enforcing imperfect laws upon the subjects that he considers to be stupid and uncivilized. In addition, Ulysses expresses dissatisfaction with his old wife. Elshaikh observes that Tennyson introduces Ulysses as a character faced with the problem of disillusionment with his life (395). That is, Ulysses describes his existence as a state of imprisonment within what he considers to be a kingdom made of very narrow boundaries. Even though he has managed to rise to the position of a ruler, he faces a key problem of dissatisfaction with his present life.
In the second part of the poem, Tennyson describes the desire for new experiences and exploration as a potential solution for Ulysses' current problem. "I cannot rest from travel: I will drink, Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd, Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those, That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when, Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades, Vext the dim sea." The lines of the poems expres...