Student Question
What motivates Ulysses to voyage again in Tennyson's poem Ulysses?
Quick answer:
In Tennyson's "Ulysses," the titular character is motivated to voyage again by a desire for purpose and noble deeds before death. He finds life in Ithaca unfulfilling and believes his son Telemachus is ready to rule. Ulysses seeks to escape the monotony of home life and pursue a final adventure that would befit someone who once "strove with Gods," thereby giving meaning to the end of his life.
Ulysses is motivated to go on another voyage in the poem Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson for several reasons. Ulysses states:
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
As he compares his current life with the great events of the Trojan War and his return home, he considers that his life is being wasted. He is bored with Ithaca and feels that it is time for his son, Telemachus, to assume the duties of rulership for which he has been trained. Ulysses himself has no real purpose to stay at home when there is the possibility that despite his age, he might still manage some last great deeds, giving a sense of purpose to the end of his life.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.