Ulysses, who I assume to be the narrator, believes traveling
the world and seeing what life has to offer is the key to a fulfilling life. To
him, a monotonous, sedentary life is not life at all, and that taking chances
and experiencing new things is the only way to reach your potential. He clearly states that, “all experience is an
arch wherethro’/Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades… How dull it
is to pause, to make an end,/To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!” We must explore all margins of the world,
lest we wish to be “unburnish’d” and not “shine in use”. In order to “shine”
and realize our capabilities we must break free from a comfortable life and expose
ourselves to the uncertainties of the universe.
He also makes it very clear that although he has his duties
and obligations as the king of Ithaca, his wish for adventure and experiences
takes precedent over his duties as a king.
He leaves Telemachus in charge of the “savage race” that occupies
Ithaca, leaving his son as “He works his work, I mine.” The fact that he considers Telemachus’s “work”
is to rule Ithaca while he travels tells me that his duties as a king come
second to travel and exploration. Not
only does it come second in his mind, but he also acknowledges the fact that he
does not hold much respect for his “rugged people” who “hoard, and sleep, and
feed”.
However, his worldly endeavors are not solely for
recreational and frivolous purposes. He calls himself a “gray spirit” who is “yearning in desire/To
follow knowledge like a sinking star,/Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.” This is his attempt to “color” his spirit,
which at the moment seems gray and dreary, needing something to fill the very
apparent void. And his belief is that
searching for the unknown, or knowledge unbound by human thought, will give his
restless spirit the satisfaction it craves. He wants to be unbound from
any chains, to set himself free.
The poem “Ulysses” not only stresses the necessity of travel
and adventure as the only way to a fulfilling life, but also emphasizes the need to search
for knowledge and seek that which surpasses human thought.
I definitely agree with your points about the idea of Ulysses valuing travel and adventure more than his duties and responsibilities as a king. Do you believe that his priorities are simply Tennyson's way of glorifying a lifestyle? He could have done so by utilizing any other famous literary character. Do you think that perhaps there is something greater that is being said about Ulysses/Odysseus? Good or bad?
ReplyDeleteIf we agree that Ulysses values his own exploration and adventure over his kingdom, could that be seen as a sense of selfishness? Is this sort of epic, great hero one that will perpetually turn his back on obligations and responsibilities in favor of supporting his own need for adventure really a hero with a serious shortcoming?
ReplyDeleteI think there are some really strong observations in this blogpost. Do you find irony in the fact that he traveled for 10 years (after fighting for 10 years), and wants nothing more than to head out traveling again? Marie, you mention that Ulysses believes his travels and endeavors will earn him satisfaction... I interpreted it more as a recognition that true fulfillment in the pursuit of knowledge is inaccessible, but nonetheless something to pursue.
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