Humble Life of Ulysses: Homer's Poem

One of the greatest honors that a writer can receive is creating a piece of literature that resonates year after year. It is widely acknowledged that Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey are among these remarkable texts. Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote about The Odyssey in his famous poem, "Ulysses." Ulysses is the Latin name for Odysseus, the main character in Homer’s epic poem. In Tennyson's poem, a man who fought in the battle of Troy is on his way home, but the journey is not easy. He faces many obstacles, and his home is being destroyed. Nevertheless, he makes it back in time to restore order for his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Beth Gaboury describes this in her writing: “The poem ‘Ulysses’ by Alfred Tennyson is a narrative of the Greek mythology hero Ulysses, also known as Odysseus. In this poem, Ulysses describes his deep urge to go out into the wild unknown and seek out one last adventure - one last hurrah. In a strange twist of irony, it is when Ulysses reaches his goal, finally returning home to his wife and son, that he realizes his true desire” (Gaboury, 2011). Through analyzing Tennyson’s great poem, we can understand that Ulysses’ purpose was to explore all facets of the Earth until he died. This concept contrasts with his previous experiences, but through those experiences, he gains a humble attitude. First of all, in Tennyson's poem, we can see that Ulysses' purpose was to explore the vastness of the Earth throughout his life.