Character and Philosophy of Ulysses: Rohan was an English Honours student. He first read Tennyson’s Ulysses poem while preparing for his Victorian literature class. One line stayed with him for a long time after he closed the book: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” The poem felt powerful and inspiring, however slightly troubling for him. Rohan wondered whether Ulysses was a true hero or an escapist king who was running away from his responsibility.
This confusion is natural, because Ulysses is not a simple poem of adventure. It is a dramatic monologue that presents a philosophy of life, shaped by both classical mythology and the spirit of the Victorian age. To understand the poem fully, it is necessary to examine Ulysses’ character, his ideals, and the deeper implications of his speech.
Table of Contents
Character and Philosophy of Ulysses in Tennyson’s Poem
Tennyson and His Use of Classical Myth
Alfred Tennyson often drew inspiration from classical myths and legends, just as he reworked medieval romances. However, he did not merely retell ancient stories. In most cases, he used mythological characters to express a distinct philosophy of life.
In Ulysses, Tennyson takes the Greek hero of Homer’s Odyssey and reimagines him as a symbol of restless human aspiration. The poem is not about past heroism alone; it is about the human urge to move forward, learn more, and refuse stagnation.
Ulysses as the Spirit of Adventure
The speaker of the poem, Ulysses, represents the spirit of adventure incarnate. He has already achieved immortal fame through his role in the Trojan War and his long, perilous voyages. Yet these achievements do not satisfy him. Experience has not made him complacent; instead, it has intensified his desire for further exploration.
Despite the physical exhaustion caused by years of struggle, Ulysses’ will remains unconquered. He is always “thirsty” for action, eager to know more lands, people, customs, and experiences. To him, human life is far too short to remain confined within narrow limits. Rest and inactivity appear meaningless as long as one is alive.
In this way, Ulysses openly challenges the conventional belief that old age should be a period of rest and withdrawal.
The Philosophy of Life in Ulysses
Ulysses expresses his philosophy in lines filled with rhetorical power and proverbial significance. When he declares that he will “drink life to the lees,” he suggests that struggle, risk, and hardship are not burdens but sources of joy.
For him, experience is not an end in itself but a gateway to further discovery. He compares life to an arch through which one can glimpse an endless, unexplored world beyond. This vision inspires him to continue striving, even when the body is weakened by “time and fate.”
His desire “to follow knowledge like a sinking star” reveals an ambition that goes beyond ordinary limits. This aspiration is almost Marlovian in spirit, echoing the Renaissance hunger for infinite knowledge and experience. For Ulysses, it is never too late to seek a new world.
Ulysses as a Source of Inspiration
The philosophy expressed in Ulysses functions as a powerful exhortation to its listeners. It encourages them to reject ease, comfort, and idleness, and instead embrace continuous effort and intellectual growth.
The image of the ship ready to sail becomes a symbol of inspiration. It calls people toward new enterprises and bold undertakings. Through Ulysses’ voice, Tennyson celebrates perseverance, courage, and the refusal to surrender to stagnation.
Ulysses and the Victorian Spirit
Tennyson is often regarded as a representative poet of the Victorian age, and Ulysses strongly reflects the Victorian belief in progress. One important aspect of Victorian life was its emphasis on exploration, expansion, and tangible achievement, particularly through voyages and colonial enterprise.
In giving voice to Ulysses, Tennyson articulates this spirit of relentless progress. The poem thus becomes a representative Victorian work, expressing confidence in human effort and the moral value of ceaseless striving.
Comparison with The Lotos-Eaters
Ulysses is frequently contrasted with Tennyson’s The Lotos-Eaters, which presents a philosophy of ease, passivity, and withdrawal from struggle. On the surface, the two poems appear to express completely opposite attitudes toward life.
However, a closer examination reveals a subtle irony. While the lotos-eaters escape responsibility through lethargy, Ulysses also seeks escape—though in a different form. His endless voyages allow him to avoid the routine duties of kingship and domestic life. His contempt for his people, who “hoard, and sleep, and feed,” parallels the lotos-eaters’ pity for the striving world.
Ulysses’ ambition becomes an obsession, sustained only because his son Telemachus is capable of ruling wisely and responsibly. Telemachus represents balance, moderation, and social duty, standing in sharp contrast to his father’s restless temperament.
Conclusion
Tennyson’s Ulysses is a complex and thought-provoking poem that celebrates human aspiration while also inviting critical reflection. On one level, it inspires readers to pursue knowledge, action, and self-fulfilment without surrendering to age or inertia. On another level, it raises questions about responsibility, escape, and the cost of relentless ambition.
As Rohan eventually realised that the greatness of Ulysses lies in this tension. The poem does not offer simple answers; instead, it presents a powerful voice that continues to challenge readers to examine their own attitudes toward life, duty, and progress.
