In his poem “Ulysses,” Alfred, Lord Tennyson emphasizes the title character’s great endurance and insatiable curiosity in a number of ways and in a number of passages, including the following:
Line 1 implies already that Ulysses does not enjoy being an “idle” king – idle either physically or mentally. His disappointment in his “still hearth” (line 2) also implies his desire for adventure.
Line 3 implies his disappointment in the physical and mental passivity of his people, who, apparently, spend much of their time sleeping.
Lines 5-6 are especially relevant to his insatiable curiosity as well as to his powers of endurance, especially in light of the dangers of travel during this time:
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees . . .
Line 8 mentions that Ulysses has “suffered greatly,” thus implying his powers of endurance. Lines 9-11 explain where and how he suffered.
Line 12 mentions Ulysses’ “hungry heart,” a phrase which implies his emotional yearning for...
(The entire section contains 557 words.)
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