The Representative Poem
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The Representative Poem
Ashley Stringer-Franco
ENG/ 306 Poetry and Society
Catherine Canino
February 4, 2013
The Representative Poem The nineteenth century is known as the Victorian Era and it is famous for its improvement of information, growth of an empire and enlargement of the economy. The era had a vibrant spirit of events. During this era Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote the well-known poem “Ulyssses” and it represented how he felt at the time. This poem reveals the determined spirit of everyone that lived in his culture. In the poem Tennyson says that Ulysses has been fighting and journeying for at least twenty years of his life on Earth. Along the way he has observed and learned a lot of things, but he is still not happy with his life. His desire for information is ravenous. In the poem Ulysses Tennyson says, “How dull it is to pause, to make an end,/ To rust unfurnished, not to shine in use!” The Victorian spirit that Tennyson has is also shown when he says that although his is old his goal is, “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” (Ferguson, Salter, & Stallworthy, 2005). The Victorian Era is also noticeable with a hint of distrust and aggravation. Everyone in that era seemed to be really tired with the unending rush against their time and they wanted a life of complete union, permanence, and tranquility. Tennyson shows this style of the era in his poem “The Lotos-Eaters”. In this poem Tennyson show that when the mariners reach the lotos island and consume the lotos fruits, they are astounded by the peace and hush environment of the island. Even though they still have quite a ways to go to get to their home, they desire to journey or work hard anymore and intend to reside on the island in a situation of lasting break, calm, and harmony. They state their hatred at the tremendously hard labor filled life they have had to live all their lives by saying, “Hateful is the dark-blue sky,/ Vaulted o’er the dark-blue sea,/ Death is the end
The Representative Poem
Ashley Stringer-Franco
ENG/ 306 Poetry and Society
Catherine Canino
February 4, 2013
The Representative Poem The nineteenth century is known as the Victorian Era and it is famous for its improvement of information, growth of an empire and enlargement of the economy. The era had a vibrant spirit of events. During this era Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote the well-known poem “Ulyssses” and it represented how he felt at the time. This poem reveals the determined spirit of everyone that lived in his culture. In the poem Tennyson says that Ulysses has been fighting and journeying for at least twenty years of his life on Earth. Along the way he has observed and learned a lot of things, but he is still not happy with his life. His desire for information is ravenous. In the poem Ulysses Tennyson says, “How dull it is to pause, to make an end,/ To rust unfurnished, not to shine in use!” The Victorian spirit that Tennyson has is also shown when he says that although his is old his goal is, “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” (Ferguson, Salter, & Stallworthy, 2005). The Victorian Era is also noticeable with a hint of distrust and aggravation. Everyone in that era seemed to be really tired with the unending rush against their time and they wanted a life of complete union, permanence, and tranquility. Tennyson shows this style of the era in his poem “The Lotos-Eaters”. In this poem Tennyson show that when the mariners reach the lotos island and consume the lotos fruits, they are astounded by the peace and hush environment of the island. Even though they still have quite a ways to go to get to their home, they desire to journey or work hard anymore and intend to reside on the island in a situation of lasting break, calm, and harmony. They state their hatred at the tremendously hard labor filled life they have had to live all their lives by saying, “Hateful is the dark-blue sky,/ Vaulted o’er the dark-blue sea,/ Death is the end
References: Cervo, Nathan A. The Explicator63. 2 (Winter 2005): 76-78. Ferguson, M., Salter, M. J., & Stallworthy, J. (Eds.). (2005). The Norton anthology of poetry (5th ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. Motion, A. (2010, Spring). The Poem and The Path1. The Hudson Review, 63(1), 37. New York Times (1857-1922) [New York, N.Y] 01 Aug 1886: 6. O 'Gorman, F. (2004, Spring). Tennyson 's "in Memoriam" and tangle. ANQ, 17(2), 41-42. Review of English Studies (2009)60 (245): 460-474.doi: 10.1093/res/hgn147First published online: October 3, 2008 Yelsibursa, A. (2012, October). Teaching Poetry With Multimedia Materials: Tennyson 's "Lady of Shallot". Novitas-Royal, 6(2).