Write the explanation of the poem entitled Ulysses.

Ans.

EXPLANATIONS

1. 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 known not me.

Explanation with Reference to the Context- These lines have been taken from the poem ‘Ulysses‘ composed by Tennyson. Ulysses, the hero of Trojan War, is weary of his idle life at present. He is habitual to travel and lead on adventurous life. After winning the War he could not stay peacefully at his home in his old age.

The present lines show the adventurous attitude of Kind Ulysses. He fought many wars. He travelled enough in his life. Now he is lying idle in his empire. He finds no profit in enjoying his life which is idle. His house is calm and quiet. His house is located among the barren hills of Ithaca. He is in the company of his old wife and finds the life fruitless against his tendency. The laws which he made to rule over his empire are not effective at present because they have grown old and out of practice. He is administering his empire with the help of unequal laws among the uncivilized people. He found his companions lying idle, collecting money and passing useless lives like animals. He summons his companions to sail against for new adventures.

Note- (1) Ulysses is not happy with idle life. He summons his friends to leave this life for an adventurous journey.

(ii) It shows Tennyson’s optimistic attitude that it is never too late to make new fortunes.

2. O cannot rest from travel: I will drink

Life to the less: 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. I am become a name;

For always roaming with a hungry heart

Much have I seen and known, cities of men

And manners, climates, governments.

Myself not least, but honour ‘d of them all;

And drunk delight of battle with my peers,

Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.

Explanation with Reference to Context- This stanza had been selected from the poem ‘Ulysses composed by Tennyson. In his old age Ulysses, the hero of Trojan War, is lying idle in his peaceful empire. He expresses his intense desire to do something adventurous. He narrates his past experiences which he had enjoyed in his life.

Ulysses claims that he is not made to take rest in an idle manner. He desires to enjoy fully adventurous he enjoyed life which in the past time. He enjoyed his life eminently. He suffered much during his adventures. He had been with his friends in those adventures as well as against his enemies. He had tolerated enough burdens. He faced the troubles with friends and alone too. He faced the troubles in the oceans against enemies at the time when the group of stars indicates a heavy rain and the oceans become stormy. Now he has become a synonym of adventures and bravery. He travelled for to many places and he was ever curious to know the cities of men, he bears the knowledge of umerent cities, cultures and people. He had seen many councils of ministers and many governments. He was respected by each class of people in his youth. He had faced the dangerous battles which he enjoyed enough. He was happy with his companions in the war of Troy where the winds below fast.

Note- Tennyson explains the life of Ulysses which was highly adventurous. It shows the desire of Ulysses to have more travels to perform enthusiastic deeds and to face new adventures.

3. I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch where thro’

Gleams that untravell’d world, whose margin fades

For ever and for ever when I move.

How dull it is to pause to make an end.

To rust unburnish ‘d, not to shine in use!

As tho to breathe were life. Life piled on life

Where all too little, and of one to me

Little remains: but every hour is saved

From that etemal silence, something more,

A bringer of new things; and vile it were

For some three suns to store and hoard myself,

And this grey spirit yearning in desire

To follow knowledge, like a sinking star;

Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

Explanation with Reference to the Context- These lines have been selected from the poem ‘Ulysses’ composed by Tennyson. The hero of the poem led an adventurous life. In his old age too, he does not like to lay idle.. His soul yearns to have more knowledge about the unknown lands.

Ulysses admits that he is a part of the experiences which he achieved in his whole life. He has travelled far and wide and has had many adventures. Still he could not satiated his hunger for more knowledge and experiences. He considers his present life as dull and wants to sail gain for new adventures shows him a new gateway from where he may watch the new lands where he has never travelled to. The nearer he moves to them the farther they shrink. He feels it very dull to lay idle in the old age and thus to make an end of the journey of adventurous life. He will not like to die in the present idle situation. He wants to keep in continuous use his brain and body Merely to have the breath is not life. To have many lives on this earth is useless if we have no adventure to act upon. Now Ulysses feels that he has only some years of his present life. He wants to do something new instead of lying idle at home and hoard the energy so that he may live healthily in the last years of life. He even in the old age he is desirous to have new knowledge. He wants to reach beyond the imagination of human thought.

Note- (i) Tennyson seems to preach the purpose of life, here. Many lives posed in idleness are useless than one which is adventurous.

(ii) It is the duty of human beings to search more knowledge than to live more. Mind rusts if it is kept out of use.

4. This is my son, mine own Telemachus,

To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle-

Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil

This labour, by slow prudence to make mild

A rugged people, and thro’soft degrees

Subdue them to the useful and the good.

Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere

O common duties, decent not to fail

In Offices of tenderness, and pay

Meet adoration to my household gods.

When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

Explanation with Reference to the Context- This stanza has been choosen from the poem “Ulysses’ composed by Tennyson. Kind Ulysses is determined to give up his empire for his son and to set sail for long journey to obtain more experiences and knowledge. He appreciates his son.

Ulysses declares that he wants to handover his empire to his own son. Teaches. He will rule over his empire of island. He loves his son because he is virtuous. He is highly virtuous to perform his duties. He bears a good sense of judgment. He will work for the welfare of the uncivilized people and in this way, he will turn the common mases into civilized people by his slow moving process of administration. He will attract the people to convert them into good and useful persons for others. He is highly esteemed and flawless. He knows to perform his duties for the general welfare of the people. He is kind and soft and he will show his tender love to those who need it.

Note- The above lines show the adventurous attitude and optimism of Ulysses. He is very hopeful about his son, his personal qualities and as his worthy heir.

5. There lies the port: the vessel puffs her sail :

There gloom the dark broad seas. My mariners,

Souls that have toil’d and wrought and thought with me-

That ever with a frolic welcome took

The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed;

Free hearts, free foreheads you and I are old;

Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;

Explanation with Reference to the Context- These lines have been selected from the poem Ulysses composed by Tennyson. The hero of the poem prepares himself to make a long journey for adventurous jobs. He hands over his empire to his son. His friends too are ready to accompany him.

Ulysses points out that his ship is loaded with necessary goods. This ship is ready to sail at the port. The wind is flowing to the suitable directing. On the other hand the large ocean is shining well in the darkness of the night. His old companions too are ready to go with him. These companions are not ordinary. They have assisted him in the tight corners too. They are valiant enough to face the enemy without caring of their own life and death. Their thoughts are also harmonising with Ulysses. All of them are jolly enough to face the hardships of life. Though they are old yet they bear the honour, valour and confidence like the young. They do not care for their old bodies when they do hard hobs.

Note- Tennyson wants to say that even old age is not made to take rest or to lie idly.

6. Death closes all but something ere the end

Some work of noble note, may yet be done.

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods

The light begin to twinkle from the rocks.

The long day wames: the slow moon climbs: the deep

Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends.

Tis not too late to seek a never worked

Push off and sitting well in order smile

The sounding furrones; for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and he baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

Explanation with Reference to the Context- This stanza emerges in the poem Ulysses composed by Alfred Tennyson. The hero of the poem is determined to go abroad for adventurous jobs. He may never take rest in his life. He still intends to do something noble before meeting his death which ends all efforts.

Ulysses is curious to do something more adventurous before his death. He is in the old age, near to death. He is hopeful that he may do something useful in this age too. Once he fought in the battle of Troy even with the gods. Now he should not take rest in the remaining few years of his life. He looks some stars twinkling in the western horizon in the hilly area. His long day of life is about to set. The moon in the sky is also moving with slow speed. Before him there is the large ocean which is making a confusing and sad voice. He achievement. He c: Ils his friends to sit in order so that they may sail the ship and strike their oars against the large waves of the ocean. The poet again explains that the purpose of Ulysses is to keep on working until his death. He wants to meet the stars of western horizon where the stars seem to have a bath in the waves of the ocean. He will keep on his journey towards the west until he dies.

Note- (i) Tennyson is highly optimistic in these lines.

(ii) He uses aphoristic language to his purpose. He narrates the confusing state of death too.

7. It may be that the gulf will wash

It may be shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we know.

Tho much is taken, much abides; and tho

We are not now that strength, which in old days

Moved earth and heaven: that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic heats.

Made weak by time and fate but strong in will

To Strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Explanation with Reference to the Context- This is the concluding stanza of the poem ‘Ulysses’ composed by Tennyson. The hero of the poem is determined to make hard effort to seek new achievements till his death. He is full of pride for his old achievements.

Ulysses hopes that he will never return from his journey of life. It may be that they may drown in the waves of the ocean. There is another possibility that they may reach to the western horizon where they may meet with Achilles, who is expected to take rest in the Happy Islands there. Ulysses narrated that they have achieved enough knowledge and experience in their lives yet this life is not made to stay and take rest before death. Still enough remains to them to achieve. It is a different thing that now they have become old and they do not possess the strength which was once enough to shake the earth and heaven. They bear their own existence, whatever they are. All of them are equally brave and heroic. Though they are old and weak yet they will keep on to struggle, to invent new lands, to achieve more gains. After all they are not to assume defeat and desolation.

Note- Tennyson teachers a hopeful lesson to the persons of old age, who are unlucky and weak. These lines are highly optimistic and aphoristic.