Blog Response #2: Tennyson's "Ulysses"

It is clear in Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses” that the narrator longs for adventure and exploration. In the very first lines of the poem he claims that it is of little use to stay as an “idle king” making judgements upon the masses of his kingdom with his old wife. Ironically while the entire plot of Homer’s The Odyssey tells the story of this great hero attempting to get home, he is now bored and frustrated there. 

The second and third details I took note of included the poem being told in the form of a dramatic monologue and use of indirectly characterization in relation to  Ulysses as the narrator. I believe that these two details lend themselves to the deeper meaning of the poem. One must consider the merits of characterizing the eponymous hero of Greek mythology is such a manner. 

Typically the stories of heroes are told by a narrator from a third-person perspective that is far from objective. By offering a different perspective of viewing this hero we are able to evaluate him and see typically overlooked flaws. While Ulysses is certainly a venerable hero the galavanting of every hero ends and it is selfish of to shirk his responsibilities by deserting his family and kingdom in pursuit of a hedonistic lifestyle. By indirectly characterizing Ulysses Tennyson is able to make these points about his self centeredness and hubris through the great hero’s own words to an unknown audience. In fact he almost does so in the very way a Greek tragedy would have been told - a story about a hero possessing one fatal flaw that leads to his undoing. A format that the poem follows in a way, for in the end Ulysses is ready to die for in pursuit of adventure.