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Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses"

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Read and Listen

Here is an annotated version of "Ulysses." What do the annotations tell you that you didn't already know or couldn't figure out from the context?

Poems are usually meant to be read aloud for maximum pleasure and understanding. Listen to this recording of the poem. You may want to read and hear the poem simultaneously. In what way does the aural experience enhance your appreciation of the poem?

Poetic Form

What exactly is a dramatic monologue? This short introduction to the poetic form will tell you. Read another of Tennyson's dramatic monologues, either "Tithonius" or "Lucretius." How do the three characteristics described in the intro to the poetic form apply to the poem? What would be the difference, do you think, if the poem had not been a monologue but a narrative from the third-person point of view?

Rather than in rhyme, Tennyson wrote his dramatic monologues in blank verse. This introduction to prosody explains the characteristics. Take about ten lines of "Ulysses,"  "Tithonius," or "Lucretius" and decide what the meter is and how many feet to each line. In what ways do they mimic speech patterns? What do you think are the difficulties of making poetic ideas fit specific criteria like dramatic monologue and prosody?

Analysis

Here are two short articles about the poem. One is a brief analysis from Vanderbilt University and the other from SparkNotes, which presents information about the events of Tennyson's life and their influences on his poetry, with links to the poems and analysis. After all the time you've spent reading and thinking about the poem, is anything revealed in this material that you couldn't have reasoned for yourself? More important, explain five criteria you will use in the future to analyze and explicate any poem.

 

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