Cunning is one of Odysseus's most essential traits. While it is impossible to hear the seductive songs of the Sirens and not succumb to them, Odysseus is cunning enough to come up with a way to fulfill his desire but not being destroyed by the Sirens's power. Bound to the mast and therefore unable to be physically drawn to the Sirens, he commands his sailors (with their ears stopped with wax) to oar while he freely and safely enjoys the song of the Sirens.
While we may praise and admire Odysseus's courage and wit in his series of adventures, we can also say that he is deeply manipulative in his encounters with elemental deities, displays his colonial desire by subjugating and exploiting nature, and simply uses the enforced toil of his oarsmen to fulfill his desire for conquest. In other words, he can be said to represent the very archetype of the imperialist.
In Alfred Tennyson's poem "Ulysses," can you discern this similar imperialist trait in the portrait of Ulysses? Since the Victorain age is the period in which the British military achievement is glorified and the supremacy of "white races" is justified in the bloody subjugation of "lower" and primitive races, Tennyson, being a Victorian poet, must be aware of the spirit of his era and express this awareness in his poem. Pick up some lines in the poem that betray his "imperialist unconscious" and explain their relevance.
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Due to the background of Alfred Tennyson, he unconsciously put the spirits of their generation into his poems.
"I am become a name, for always roaming with a hunger heart" Here, the hunger means the desire of another journey. A journey to discover something that is good for their own country.
"The long day wanes; the slow moon climbs; the deep Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world" "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" It says that althought they're old, they can still go out to explore the world. And not to yield to the uncharted places but to conquer them.
"A rugged people, and through...." Rugged means uncivilized. Here, we can see his sense of superiority toward other people. It is also the feature of Victorian Age.
In the first stanza, he used “savage race” and “barren crags” to describe his own citizens and his ruling island.” “Unequal laws unto a savage race, that hoard, and sleep, and feed, and not me.” We can find his despising attitude toward other people. ”Some work of noble note, may yet be done.” The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds to sail beyond the sunset, and the baths of all the western stars, until I die.” From these lines we can find the sense of imperialism, and his strong desire for conquest. They colonize other lands under the name of exploration, which is the distinct characteristic of imperialism in Victorian age.
"The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks; the long day wanes; the slow moon climbs; the deep moans round with many voices. Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world." This means that he is willing and eager to explore the outer world. "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." Even if they're old enough to retire or stop from the journey, they will never give up, they will still search for other lands. That's a prove of imperialism, using the name of exploring to colonize others.
"I am become a name; For always roaming with a hungry heart", it is a desire of subduing other countries.
"A rugged people, and through soft degrees","Subdue them to the useful and the good", it means that the subdued isle of people.It's a characteristic of imperialism in Victorian age.
He forced his mariners to sail the vessel with him, and seek a newer world. It's also imperislism in Victorian age.
It makes their colonialism becomes a reasonable and brave adventure in people's minds.
"I am become a name. For always roaming with hungry heart." It shows that he think himself a symbol of pioneer. "Souls that have toiled, and wriught, and thought with me."
It is shows that he think that everything and th euniverse is circled with him. He is the center of the world. And I think the poet put the imperialist into the poem. Odysseus is just like a symbol of hero that have the courage to sail through world and encourage other people woth him. It's let the feeling of imperialist stronger. Because he dominated everything and guide peopple follow him.
I totally agreed with all of my classmates’ opinion, and I have some different.
In the first stanza, “It little profits that an idle king, By this still hearth, among these barren crags, Match’d with an aged wife,” it means that be a king is boring, prove he is all of desire by exploiting nature.
“I mete and dole Unequal laws unto a savage race, That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.” He used the word “mete” and “dole” seems that he is the supremacy. And he has power to set the laws and feed the savage race.
In the line 34, we can notice that he left his kingdom to his son Telemachus. Heritage is a way to protect their royal identities, and it assures their states. He also describe their people as savages; moreover, there is a line “Subdue them to the useful and the good.” He objectified his people; therefore, we can see he was a imperialist clearly. The most obviously line is “I am become a name.” he indulged in his sailing and abandoned his kingdom and family. We can easily see his ambition. He wanted to adventure and ruled the uncultivated land. He seemed want to empire the world and be the king.
In the poem, there are some ways to portray the imperialism, as the oarsmen who are to fulfill the desire of Ulysses, he suggests “a rugged people” to work for his son, Telemachus. Ulysses wants to subdue them to work for the imperialism; besides a rugged people, “to follow knowledge like a sinking star, beyond the utmost bound of human thought” presents the invading desire very well. It is very imperialistic, and it full of the desire to invade other country. “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.” These lines portray that although he is old enough, he also wants to invade other world. He has a lot of desire, and he wants to get rid of the problems of age or other to achieve his imperialism. I think the age is what Tennyson wants to portray the imperialist unconscious, but the desire of Ulysses betrays this kind of will and approves the point of imperialism.
In the second stanza, “I am become a name.” It shows that Odysseus is a pioneer of the adventure. He wanted to be the king of all people. “To follow knowledge like a sinking star, Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.” Tennyson showed that man wanted to surpass their utmost. However, he didn’t agree this kind of ambition. In the third stanza, “Subdue them to the useful and the good.” It is a imperialist word, the manager wanted to used power to control his people. “In offices of tenderness,” The state will pretend to use tender way with people. Actually, the state used the cruel politics with people. In my thought, the tender way is such as assimilation, cultural genocide, ideology, and so on. The state will tell people that they should do or could not do something.
From the poem,we can see that there are many implications of imperialism."Barren crags","savage race","rugged people" shows how imperialists consider themselves more superior than other race."For always roaming with a hungry heart","for my purpose holds to sail beyond the sunset,and the baths of all the western stars,until I die." indicates the discontent of the imperialist,and their desire to conquer.They think it is their duty to bring civilization through colonization,because it is "some work of noble note" As a Victorian poet, the poem tactfully displays the ambition of an imperial nation and their endless expansion,for "'Tis not too late to seek a newer world."
"I am become a name, for always roaming with a hunger heart" "A rugged people, and through.... Tennyson was a Victorian poet, we can aware the domains of his knowledge, beliefs and values that he uses as the characteristic of Odysseus through these lines (rugged=uncivilized). "Come, my friends.’Tis not too late to seek a newer world." "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield". Facing old age, Ulysses yearns to explore again with his fellows, despite his reunion with his family for his adventures and determination. Perhaps, it is way of showing a persistence or braveness; however, the superior of him also gives me the image of enormous ego.
"Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me." It implies that the imperialists invades lands of the primitive, suppressing them with unequal laws as to gain some benefit from."For always roaming with a hungry heart Much have I seen and known,-- cities of men" Here he may refers a hungry heart to the heart of the imperialists including he, for he wrote "I am a part of all that I have met." As we know Ulysses was sinned because his fraudulent counsel, the imperialists may sin for this reason as well.
From my point of view, in the poem” Ulysses”, there are many lines which indicate about “imperialist “. For instance, “For always roaming with a hungry heart much have I seen and known- cities of men and manners, climates, councils, government, myself not least, but honored of them all”, from these sentences, it can seen that he thinks that he himself can make other men with honor. It a kind of feeling that he is superior to other people. Besides,” A rugged people, and though soft degrees subdue them to the useful and the good” , he believes that he has power to control and subdue others, and those people he subdue are uncivilized.
I think there are many terms and lines used in this poem that betray his “imperial unconscious,” such as “always roaming with a hungry heart,” “delight of battle,” “’tis not too late to seek a newer world,” and “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” The terms and lines above show how much he wants to seek and invade other places, which is the implication of the imperialism of West. Besides, “Barren crags,” “savage race,” and “rugged people” also show that the people of the West regard people from other places as barbarians who are not civilized at all and need to be occupied and civilized by them.
I am become a name, for always roaming with a hunger heart" "A rugged people, and through.... Tennyson was a Victorian poet, we can aware the domains of his knowledge, beliefs and values that he uses as the characteristic of Odysseus through these lines (rugged=uncivilized). "Come, my friends.’Tis not too late to seek a newer world." "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield". Facing old age, Ulysses yearns to explore again with his fellows, despite his reunion with his family for his adventures and determination. Perhaps, it is way of showing a persistence or braveness; however, the superior of him also gives me the image of enormous ego.
In the story, theauthor depicted that Ulysses wasn't happy and satisfied after he reached his homeland. He felt bored about living there and spend time with those savagenesses and wanted to sail else where again and try to conquer and occupy other places. From my point of view, that's a representation of colonialism. There was once England was called "No Sunset," because at that time, English territories were big enough to see the sun everywhere, that's a expression of colonialism, having the desire to occupy everywhere. And in this poem, although Tennyson did not say clearly that Ulysses wanted to go out to fight and see; however, Ulysses's dissatisfication divulged that kind of thoughts. That's where the "betrayal" is.
“I am become a name; For always roaming with a hungry heart.” This sentence describes Ulysses wants to become famous and have a lot of adventure. In the Victorian Time, adventurers want to explore the world and become famous and rich. “Come, my friends. ‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world.” This sentence encourage everyone to explore the newer world, no matter how hard the trip would be, everyone should try to sail to a different places and expand the vision. Use these two parts for example, they express the imperialism adequately. They encourage people to sail abroad, just like Ulysses, eager to have a lot of adventures during his whole life.
"I am become a name, for always roaming with a hunger heart" From these two lines we can see the strong desire for going on an adventure. As we known, Victorian Age was a long period of prosperity for the British people. They considered other countries inferior; therefore, they wanted to conquer them in order to give them civilization. "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield", these lines can as well give us the sense of imperialism.
My favorite sentence is “ I am become a name . ” which one shows the directest desire of Ulysses’s determination on conquering . In the meanwhile some sections in the poem spread out the message with dim atmosphere . For example “I cannot rest from travel；I will drink life to the less .” It means that he won’t waste his lifetime and he will fight till the end . And another proof is “I am a part of all that I have met；Yet all experience is am arch wherethrough . Gleams that untraveled world , whose margin fades . For ever and for ever when I move .” It also tells us he is willing to spend all life to pursue its glory , his adventure is continuing . This final sentence “To strive , to seek , to find , and not to yield .” Make the ending full of powerful and bright future . earnest and hard-working spirit is the typical elements of Victorian age . The poem Ulysses is a good way to understand it .
“I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart.”
From the two lines we can see how ambitious he is and his strong desire to open up other contries and strengthen his power. This kind of notion is just like that of the Victorain age. As we know, it was a time that industrial Revolution and the British Empire developed to a climax. "A rugged people, and through soft degrees;Subdue them to the useful and the good." They began to invade other countries, enslaved those people they considered uncicilized. They kept tyrannized those people, and that isthe so-called imperialism.
In the first stanza “Unequal laws unto a savage race, That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me” shows the image of how the authority control their colony. It is obvious that they treat those people with unequal laws. In the third stanza, I find their arrogant attitude toward those cloned people. “A rugged people, and through soft degrees” they regard their colonist as the barbarian. “Subdue them to the useful and the good” I find their ambitious desire to conquer those so called “undeveloped races” and want to deprive their possession.
The most obvious one in the poem will be "I am become a name; for always roaming with a hungry heart", "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield", and "Come, my friends. ’Tis not too late to seek a newer world." This illustrates Tennyson's unconscious imperialism with metaphor to hunger, thirst, and needs to find new world to explore. This is under influence of the idea of colonialism, and reflects white’s superior feeling over other race at that time; when it refers to seeking, it means conquering.
The image of Ulysses gives me not only the inkling of heroic figure but also selfishness. “I am become a name; for always roaming with hungry heart.” In the sentence, he expresses himself as a pioneered man, full of adventures in his trip. For this reason, the achievement of his colonialism would leave a good name for a hundred generations. In the third stanza, imperialist trait of Ulysses appeared little by little. This is just like he talks to audiences. At first, he leaves the scepter and the isle to his son and he’ll open up or develop uncultivated land or the frontier. The sentence “A rugged people, and through soft degrees subdue them to the useful and the good” speaks frankly that the essential of Ulysses’s imperial attempt emerges. He wants to vanquish a rugged people. “Rugged people” this word which he uses the word to indicate the people who have never been defeated by him let me feel non-civilization in those countries. To understand his point of view, we can notice that he identifies his country as supremacy and desires to guide rugged people be better. This is only the position he stands on which disdains people who didn’t belong him, but are they really in the inferior place? I don’t think so. In the last sentence “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.” We can sense the determined mind of Ulysses that he is like a reflection of imperialist. And also, we can perceive the spirit of the self-confidence sprouted gradually in the masterpiece in the Victorian age.
In the first stanza, Alfred, Lord Tennyson have already use some words to show imperialist thinking and superiority in his mind. “By this still hearth, among these barren crags, Matched with an aged wife, I mete and dole Unequal laws unto a savage race” in these lines, “barren crags,” “mete,” “dole,” and “savage race” all reveal a conceited mind in his mind, using an authoritative way to control other colonies. “I am become a name; For always roaming with a hungry heart” these lines also describe that he trust that the imperialist era will never cease and they continue to conquer and control other countries.
In Victorian age, More than a quarter of the world was British. Their ambitious spread all over the world, they belived glory would came after conquering a country. They were proud of their progress, and were eager to “ subdue” those “rugged people”to the useful and the good. After the Industry Revolution, techonology had a great improvement. Tennyson considered it at a good side; on the other hand, he was worried about if people could handle this huge progress properly.
"I am become a name, for always roaming with a hunger heart"
This sentence is full of the desire to conquer the world, and it makes me think of the famous motto from Caesar, “I see, I conquer.” It also a sentence that full of hope and ambition. I think it is a little bit proud.
“I am become a name; For always roaming with a hungry heart.” This sentence described Ulysses’s ambition about his adventures and he wants to go to lots of places and conquer them. He is definitely an imperialist. “I cannot rest from travel; I will drink Life to the less.” In this sentence, we can know that he has anxiety for more adventures.
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