Analysis of Tennyson's Ulysses

            The poem "Ulysses " is a dramatic monologue written in 1833 by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Alfred Tennyson was born in 1809 and is seen as one of the most prolific Victorian poets. Tennyson wrote this poem as a means to cope with the death of a dear friend. In the aftermath of this tragedy, Tennyson depicts the myth of Ulysses to portray his desire to move on beyond the death of his friend and go on with his life. Much like Ulysses upon returning back to Ithaca, it was not sufficient enough for Tennyson to simply reach a state of peace. Tennyson shows that he wants to continue to move forward and brave the turmoil of life.
             Tennyson's "Ulysses " draws aspects of two existing tales of Ulysses, one by Dante in his Inferno and the other by Homer in his epic The Odyssey. Tennyson's poem is a long speech given by Ulysses telling of his intense boredom in Ithaca and his thirst to get more out of life like he did in his travels. This is displayed while Tennyson mingles the two earlier versions by not only showing Ulysses safely getting home as occurs in Homer's tale, but he also is about to sail the seas again as transpires in Dante's account. It is this fear of getting older and dying that makes him bring on the mentality that he needs to stay busy and not be content with his current life situation. The poem ultimately finishes with Ulysses stating his final resolve to "strive, to seek, to find and not to yield " (70).
             Tennyson's portrayal of Ulysses' heroism is displayed powerfully in his utilization of a dramatic monologue. Tennyson beautifully crafts the poem to highlight the character of Ulysses and his temperament throughout the progression of this speech. It becomes clear that this monologue is given through the voice of Ulysses. Although, at first, it seems that the speaker may only be a figure that knows a lot about being a king. It is not until line three that we learn it is Ulysses speaking.