Lord Alfred Tennyson's Ulysses is a long, unrhyming, prosaic poem whose speaker, the mythical warrior-king Ulysses, speaks of his boredom, his idleness, and of his desire to explore once more, till death. At first glance it appears to be more of a melancholy poem, but really it's a pep talk, a motivational speech for both the speaker and his men. Ulysses' mood evolves from one of yearning and remembrance to an optimistic view of where he's going, of his excitement over future accomplishments he believes are left within him. He knows about the struggles one faces when their best days have come to a close, but he's working against that, to do more than wait out his final days.
Each individual section of the poem has it's own intention and purpose. Lines 1 through 32 finds him bored, unsatisfied with what he has as the King of Ithaca. He rules a people who, because of his decades of adventurous wandering in the Aegean Sea, are unfamiliar with him, and who he is unfamiliar with. He feels his final years are being wasted, that he should "shine in use" rather than "rust unburnished." He wants to see new things, to "follow knowledge like a sinking star."
Lines 33 through 43 speak of his future, in a way his preparation for leaving his kingdom. He loves his kingdom, but believes that his son, Telemachus, can do better. The people of Ithaca are rugged people, but he expects Telemachus to reform them. There's great faith found there, as he speaks of Telemachus' ability, as well as his faith to Ulysses' gods.
In lines 44 through 70 he readies his voyage, reuniting his mariner friends (to whom the poem is directed) for this final adventure. They too are old, but he has faith that in them, and himself, is the spirit to do more, to see more, to do some "work of noble note." He closes with the assertion that though they've grown old, their indomitable will shall carry them through their further journeys.
There are innumerable uses of sound here in Ulysses, all of which contribute to the better English recitation of the speech. First is the extensive use of assonance and consonance, which work to bind the unrhyming lines together. Tennyson uses an irregular cadence, which sounds awkward when one attempts to recite lyrically. It's vital, really, that the lines be conjoined in some form, as the lack of rhyme typically makes for stunted readings. However, this isn't a lyrical ballad, but more of a speech, written essentially in common, prosaic English. Examples of both consonance and assonance can be seen in the first three words of the first line (assonance will be further represented in bold, while consonance will be underlined).
1. It little profits that an idle king,
2. By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
These introductory lines are easy to read, and flow because of the phonetic relationship between the words within. This can be seen in common, every day English usage, and most especially for the time period in which Tennyson composed Ulysses (1840s).
Alliteration can be found multiple times throughout the poem. The first use is in line twelve:
12 For always roaming with a hungry heart.
Alliteration is used as well as lines 31, 36, 52 and 68.
31 To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
36 This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
52 Some work of noble note, may yet be done
The alliteration here serves to reinforce certain points, or to call attentions to certain ideas. For instance, "hungry heart" is an important metaphor for what Ulysses is possessed with, and it's vital that his point reaches them. Ulysses wants the reader (listener)'s attention to be focused on these points, so they're stressed through the alliteration. His opinion on his son's task to "make mild" the citizens of Ithaca is of great concern to Ulysses, as motivating the mariners by reminding them of their "heroic hearts" is another.
Onomatopoeia is also employed several times in the piece. In line 17, Ulysses speaks of the "ringing plains of windy Troy", reminding the mariners of their epic battles on Troy. Then, in his description of the ship in line 44 and 45, Ulysses creates a wonderful image using onomatopoeia.
44 There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail;
45 There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners
The words "gloom" and "puffs" brings the entire scene into one's mind, and without much unnecessary information.
Repetition is also an infrequent but interesting device employed by Tennyson. Line 21 is unique in the repetition, as it splits the word then repeats it.
21 For ever and forever when I move
This plays in to the long, boring existence Ulysses despises. The repetition reinforces that fact. Later on, in line 49, Tennyson further encourages the men with the reminder of "Free hearts, free foreheads." He uses the repetition to strengthen the confidence in their emotions and intelligence.
Further on, in lines 62 and 63, Ulysses says:
62 It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
63 It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
Ulysses, in giving this speech, is repeating the opening to this line to rise them up, to motivate them to this quest.
The overall rhythm of the poem is in iambic pentameter, which makes the most sense in the context. Common English is spoken in iambic pentameter, so it flows the best when read aloud. It can be diagrammed like this:
x / x / x / x / x /
70 To strive, | to seek, | to find, | and not | to yield.
Tennyson produced a stirring poem of a man facing death in the eye and striving to overcome, to achieve more with what time he has left. The poem, through extensive sound devices and methods, creates a speech that can be recited as prose if need be, but still manages to fall into the rules and restraints of poetry.
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