"Ulysses" Quote Analysis

 

 Photo by Bruno Brad Barmore 


The last line of "Ulysses" by Lord Tennyson


“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield"


Ulysses is a dramatic monologue reflecting on death and grief. The title of this poem, Ulysses, gives insight that Ulysses never returned home after the fall of Troy. Rather he convinced many of his followers to go out and chase new experiences, like this poem is about. The narrator that we are introduced to tells us as readers that he isn't fit to be a leader. He does what he does for people he doesn't even know, and he sees it as useless. He says he wants to live a life full of different experiences. In line 6, he says that he physically can't rest from travel. He has to keep on moving and seeing new thing. He doesn't want to live a life where he sits around doing nothing. He says later in his poem that his experiences will fade from his memory, but he says he still wants to have experiences. Right before the last line of the poem, Tennyson says that even though they had to sacrifice and lost much, they can't change what happened; it made them who they are. 

        Through this quote, "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" Tennyson communicates that we should live our life and strive to be the best versions of ourselves. He says to seek: find what our heart is longing for. He tells us to find: find what we are seeking for and treasure it. He lastly tells us not to yield: in all of this; striving, seeking, and finding; we need to not give up. It isn't too late to start living the life we want to live, so start striving. 


Questions
1. Do you think that this last line communicates thoroughly to live life to the fullest and not to quit? Why or why not?
2. Just based on this last line, could you tell the main idea of the poem?

Comments

  1. I think that the last line imparts the importance of endurance in life. People tend to "yield" when they reach their limits; but, if we do not go beyond our limits, we will not achieve any progress in our lives. The ability to work hard without giving up not only benefits your life but also defines your character. I think the last line of the poem projects a good message; however, the preceding lines give the reader a deeper understanding of its meaning.

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  2. I think this last line is a very effective ending to the poem, and a great choice for a blog post. It captures very well the idea of never growing complacent. It encourages readers to always strive for more.

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  3. In my opinion, this line gratefully explains the idea of living life fully and never giving up. The words used by Tennyson are very strong and makes you understand what the purpose of life is, in a very simple and effective way. Just with this last line I could not say what is the poem about because is very abstract, but I would guess that it talks about not giving up in difficult times and pursuing your goals.

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  4. Very in depth. Love it. I believe this last line of Ulysses is an anthem cry and a motto to live life by. I do believe that it pushes and encourages readers to enjoy life but not to be stopped by fears. The last line is effective in wrapping up this poem. Its short and simple language is to the point and ties in the main ideas of the poem itself.

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  5. This is wonderfully analyzed. think the last line is incredibly meaningful. Even with a short phrase, it captures the important idea that as we work for things, we shouldn't yield. We shouldn't slow our momentum. I think the last line gives a clear understanding of the poems main idea. It concludes the poem very well.

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