Scarica Summary and commentary of "Ulysses" by Tennyson e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! Ulysses Form The entire poem is spoken by a single character, whose identity is revealed by his own words. The lines are in blank verse, or unrhymed iambic pentameter, which serves to impart a fluid and natural quality to Ulysses’s speech. The poem is divided into four paragraph-like sections, each of which comprises a distinct thematic unit of the poem. Summary Ulysses declares that there is little point in his staying home “by this still hearth” with his old wife (Penelope), he makes and distributes unequal laws for the savage race who live in his kingdom, the inhabitants of Itaca. From this we can understand that he has a negative opinion of them… (Appunti-> 1) Still speaking to himself he proclaims that he “cannot rest from travel” but feels compelled to live to the fullest and swallow every last drop of life. He has enjoyed all his experiences as a sailor who travels the seas, and he considers himself a symbol for everyone who wanders and roams the earth. He has visited cities, climates, councils and governments. His travels have exposed him many different types of people and ways of living. (Appunti -> 2) They have also exposed him to the “delight of battle” while fighting the Trojan War with his men. Ulysses declares that his travels and encounters have shaped who he is: “I am a part of all that I have met,” he asserts. He gives a contribution to the history of all the places he has visited. (Appunti-> 6) And it is only when he is traveling that the “margin” of the globe that he has not yet traversed shrink and fade, and cease to goad him. (Appunti->3) Ulysses declares that it is boring to stay in one place, and that to remain stationary is to rust rather than to shine. There is a metaphor, in line 23, with which he compares himself to a weapon. It can shine only if is used. Staying in one place is to pretend that all there is to life is the simple act of breathing, whereas he knows that in fact life contains much novelty, and he longs to encounter this. (Appunti-> 4) His spirit yearns constantly for new experiences that will broaden his horizons; he wishes “to follow knowledge like a sinking star” (he uses a simile to compare knowledge ad a sinking star) and forever grow in wisdom and in learning. (Appunti->5)
