Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Ulysses” as Want to Read:
Ulysses
by
Facing old age, mythical hero Ulysses describes his discontent and restlessness upon returning to his kingdom, Ithaca, after his far-ranging travels.
Get A Copy
Kindle Edition, 4 pages
Published
January 2nd 2012
(first published 1842)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Ulysses,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about Ulysses
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="50" height="66"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>){kind=icon}
Start your review of Ulysses
My favourite poem ever, written by my favourite poet ever.
The last few lines make up the best part (and are brilliantly narrated by Judi Dench in Skyfall)
We are not now that strength
Which in old days moved earth and heaven.
That which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
The last few lines make up the best part (and are brilliantly narrated by Judi Dench in Skyfall)
We are not now that strength
Which in old days moved earth and heaven.
That which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Alfred Lord Tennysons iconic poem Ulysses is a monologue spoken by the man himself, in his old age, and looking backward to his days of triumph in Troy. He finds himself decrying his age and lack of purpose.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees:
Perhaps even more for a man such as Ulysses who has achieved so much in his life, the idea of being subjected to the ineptitude of old age is galling. He feels he still has things to offer and that he can still accomplish something of ...more
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees:
Perhaps even more for a man such as Ulysses who has achieved so much in his life, the idea of being subjected to the ineptitude of old age is galling. He feels he still has things to offer and that he can still accomplish something of ...more
Alfred Tennyson is one of my favourite poets. And this one of my favourite poems. It narrates the story of Ulysses as written at the Odyssey, which I reckon is my all time favourite book.
It speaks of Ithaca. Ulysses arriving to find a (now aged) wife. And his beloved son Telemacus. The closing of this poem, famously read by Judi Dench (M) in Skyfall(2012):
'Tho' much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
...more
It speaks of Ithaca. Ulysses arriving to find a (now aged) wife. And his beloved son Telemacus. The closing of this poem, famously read by Judi Dench (M) in Skyfall(2012):
'Tho' much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
...more
It is a must-read for those who are dealing with problems in life. The poem teaches you that you must keep going and you must hold on whatever happens. It wants you to live your life to the fullest. Even in death, you must put a struggle.
Beautiful...
"Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!"
"That which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!"
"That which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
Ulysses is back from an adventure after 20 years and is degrading the life of a king who does nothing but only instructs the others.He is interested in the life which is full of adventures.
Do,do,do!!!
Do,do,do!!!
I don't usually post anything about individual poems that I have read as a part of class, but I can't let this one go without a few remarks. I think that "Ulysses" is a very beautiful poem in what it's trying to get at, which is not to spend life idly, because we all are going to age and die someday. It also reads like a dramatic monologue in that Ulysses (also known as Odysseus), the aged hero, is plunged into nostalgia and a longing for adventure that he cannot have anymore.
I've had experience ...more
I've had experience ...more
I love reading poetry, but admittedly, reading poetry isn't my strongest skill. Since this poem isn't too long, I also read a summary to help me with understanding. I felt, however, that the poem was straightforward enough that understanding wasn't lost to me.
It is a creative and interesting piece. The images are lovely. However, that last line is dramatic and kind of overshadows the poem.
The theme of wanting to see the world is one that I connect with a great deal. This added to my enjoyment of ...more
It is a creative and interesting piece. The images are lovely. However, that last line is dramatic and kind of overshadows the poem.
The theme of wanting to see the world is one that I connect with a great deal. This added to my enjoyment of ...more
I was re-introduced to this poem by a friend and I thank him for it, mentally at least, every time I read it-which is rather often. Perhaps it's a poem one savors more as one gets older. Having read the Odyssey in Greek in high school, and read it a number of times in several translations, since then, I obviously am attracted to the character. This poem is a nice capstone to the Odyssey. I wonder how a woman would take it as it does come across a bit chauvinistic.
The ending is famous, and if an ending a poem makes this one would be great; however, an ending a poem does not make, and it's a good poem but not a great poem.
One of my favourite poems♥
...more
Not Tennyson's best.
my emotional support poem
"How dull it is to pause,to make an end, to rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use! As tho' to breathe were life!"
A great, quick (4 page), inspirational read. An easy win for that Goodreads challenge! However completely perturbed that Kindle doesn't have a free version what gives!
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep...more
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
T is not too late to seek a newer world.
This poem is not my favorite of Tennyson's.
I love classic poetry but this is soul gripping
"I am a part of all that I have met;"
I mean it's alright.
Jul 09, 2016
Doc.
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Pfft. Who doesn’t already love Tennyson?
I remember reading this statement in a great blog post about AAVE: You dont need to know that Shakespeare wrote in blank verse to appreciate the brilliance of Hamlet. How true. Ive always been a philistine when it comes to poetry. No one taught me anything more than rhyme scheme throughout my modest state-funded education, and poems appealed to me simply based on whether they sounded... well... cool. This explains why the poems that I can recite verbatimdespite having last read them during
...more
Again, referencing a long epic poem, Tennyson focuses on Ulysses (the Roman form of the Greek Odysseus). This is a monologue styled poem from the perspective of Ulysses. Ulysses is now growing old and is feeling restless with his life. He desires to go on his final voyage to see more of the world. In this poem, he is very egotistic of himself. He devotes 52 of the lines to talk about himself, 11 lines of praise to his son, and a tiny 2 words given to his wife, Penelope.
Tennyson uses enjambment ...more
Tennyson uses enjambment ...more
Poetry is far from my area of expertise. I love to read a good poem, but I read poetry so rarely that I can hardly call myself an expert. With Tennyson, I find I have a bit of a mixed relationship with his work. Some I really enjoy, whereas others I dont care much for. Thus, Im going to refrain from writing a full review about the individual pieces. Just know, some are better than others, and my ratings of the individual poems work to reflect that.
...more
Kudos to the Dead Poets Society for highlighting this one. A quite stunning creation; a guide for living, an inspiration for my own words and featuring one of the most fantastic climaxes to a poem that I'm aware of:
"Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are-
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are-
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
Come, my friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
Come, my friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
One of my favourite poems and a different take on the story of Ulysses. Tennyson's Ulysses is sick of of the domestic sphere and wishes to plunge back into the fire after many years of idleness to re-kindle his passion for life.
its so lovely
Odysseus as ordinary, aged man with an adventurer's spirit despite the pain adventure has caused him. What a joy- a poem to carry in you and live by.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers also enjoyed
Alfred Tennyson, invariably known as Alfred Lord Tennyson on all his books, was born in Somersby, Lincolnshire, the fourth of the twelve children of George Tennyson, clergyman, and his wife, Elizabeth. In 1816 Tennyson was sent to Louth Grammar School, which he disliked so intensely that from 1820 he was educated at home until at the age of 18 he joined his two brothers at Trinity College,
...more
News & Interviews
As fans of The Hunger Games know, your enemies always seem to reemerge right when you least expect them. That's right, this month, Suzanne Collin...
74 likes · 46 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Mov’d earth and heaven, that which we are, we are:
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
—
188 likes
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Mov’d earth and heaven, that which we are, we are:
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
“How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
As tho’ to breathe were life!”
—
42 likes
More quotes…
To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
As tho’ to breathe were life!”
