Ulysses

Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a poem written in a dramatic monologue form, which means the entire poem is spoken by a single character, whose identity is revealed by his own words. In the poem the readers are shown a great king by the name of Ulysses in the later years of his life after his heroic win of the Trojan War and serving again as king of Ithaca. The purpose of the poem is to let the readers sees how restless Ulysses are when he reflects on the glorious days while in his youth and planning that by some means he will obtain those glorious times again rather than sitting still in his throne and let the rest of his life pass by while doing an unwanted job of ruling his kingdom. He refuses to accept a future of growing old and ruling his kingdom which makes up the main theme of "life live to the max".
In the first paragraph, Ulysses declares that there is little point in his staying home "by this still hearth" with his old wife, doling out rewards and punishments for t...