Summary on Ulysses

Having bored in his home, Ulysses declares that there is no reason to stay at home with his old wife. He also thinks that it's valueless to receive rewards as a king and give punishment those unknown people who live in his kingdom.

Speaking to himself he declare that he feels bound to live here and no more want to rest and wishes to travel the sea. He also said that as a sailor he travelled the sea and wants to ideal for those who wants to wander and roam the earth. His travels have given him many opportunities to expose different type of people and ways of living. His experiences in the seas have exposed him in the "delight of battle" during fighting the Trojan War with his men. Ulysses asserts that his travels in the sea and his fight against the natural forces have formed who he is.

Ulysses declares that to stay in one place is boring and to remain motionless is to rust rather than shine. To him staying in one place is to pretend that there is nothing to do in life but simple acting of breathing. In fact he knows that life contains much novelty and he wishes to encounter this. His soul always searches for new experiences and he believes that these experiences will broaden his horizons.

Now Ulysses talks with an anonymous audience about his son Telemachus. According to Ulysses, his son will govern the island as his inheritor when the great hero resumes his travels in the terrible sea. He also speaks proudly that his son has capability to govern a reign. In a word, Telemachus will do his work of governing the island while Ulysses will do his work of traveling the seas.

In the final stanza, Ulysses addresses those mariners with whom he has worked, travelled over many years. He declares that although he and mariners are old now but they still have potential to do something noble and honorable. There is a possibility that angry bay may wash them down or their ships may land on happy island. Though they do not have the strength as they had in days of old, yet their spirit is still strong united by their heroic hearts. Their ultimate will is to straggle, to seek, to find and not to return. This proves Tennyson’s firm faith in man's unattainable will.