Introduction & Summary

Ulysses Book Back Answers Class 12 English Guide Chapter 4 Tamilnadu Solutions

12th Standard English 4th Lesson Ulysses Questions and Answers

Warm Up

Introduction:

The poem ‘Ulysses’ is a dramatic monologue that contains 70 lines of blank verse. Ulysses, the king of Ithaca, gathers his men together to prepare for the journey and exhorts them not to waste their time left on earth. Ulysses has grown old, having experienced many adventures at the battle of Troy and in the seas. After returning to Ithaca, he desires to embark upon his next voyage. His inquisitive spirit is always looking forward to more and more of such adventures.

The poem can be divided into three parts:

Poetry

1. the thirst for adventure, which does not allow Ulysses to remain in his kingdom as a mere ruler

2. Ulysses handing over the responsibility to his son Telemachus, with total confidence in his abilities

3. Ulysses’ clarion call to his sailors, urging them to venture into unknown lands.

1. Complete the summary of the poem, choosing words from the list given below. Lines 1 to 32

It little profits that an idle king,

By this still hearth, among these barren crags,

Match’d with an aged wife, I mete and dole

Unequal laws unto a savage race,

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

I cannot rest from travel: I will drink

Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy’d

Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those

That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when

Thro’ scudding drifts the rainy Hyades

Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;

For always roaming with a hungry heart

Much have I seen and known; cities of men

And manners, climates, councils, governments,

Myself not least, but honour’d of them all;

And drunk delight of battle with my peers,

Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.

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!

As tho’ to breathe were life! Life piled on life

Were all too little, and of one to me

Little remains: but every hour is saved

From that eternal silence, something more,

A bringer of new things; and vile it were

For some three suns to store and hoard myself,

And this gray spirit yearning in desire

To follow knowledge like a sinking star,

Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

This is my son, mine own Telemachus,

To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle, –

Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil

This labour, by slow prudence to make mild

A rugged people, and thro’ soft degrees

Subdue them to the useful and the good.

Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere

Of common duties, decent not to fail

Government Agencies

offices of tenderness, and pay

Meet adoration to my household gods,

When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:

There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,

Souls that have toil’d, and wrought, and thought with

me That ever with a frolic welcome took

The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed

Free hearts, free foreheads – you and I are old;

Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;

Death closes all: but something ere the end,

Some work of noble note, may yet be done,

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

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,

‘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

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.

Fill in the blanks with the words given below

fullest unquenchable unattainable

experience knowledge king

matters rust adventure

unwilling travel breathing

Ulysses is (1) ______ to discharge his duties as a (2) ______ , as he longs for (3) ______ He is filled with an (4) ______ thirst for (5) ______ and wishes to live life to the (6) ______ He has travelled far and wide gaining (7) ______ of various places, cultures, men and (8) ______ He recalls with delight his experience at the battle of Troy. Enriched by his (9) ______ he longs for more and his quest seems endless. Like metal which would (10) ______ if unused, life without adventure is meaningless. According to him living is not merely (11) ______ to stay alive. Though old but zestful, Ulysses looks at every hour as a bringer of new things and yearns to follow knowledge even if it is (12) ______

Answers:

1. unwilling

2. king

3. adventure

4. unquenchable

5. travel

6. fullest

7. experience

8. matters

9. knowledge

10. rust

11. breathing

12. unattainable

Lines 33 to 42

prudence kingdom quest tender

Ulysses desires to hand over his (1) _____ to his son Telemachus, who would fulfil his duties towards his subjects with care and (2) _____ Telemachus possesses patience and has the will to civilise the citizens of Ithaca in a (3) _____ way. Ulysses is happy that his son would do his work blamelessly and he would pursue his (4) _____ for travel and knowledge.

Answer:

Poetry

1. kingdom

2. prudence

3. tender

4. quest

Lines 44 to 70

world thunder meaningful

gather undaunted heaven

Ulysses beckons his sailors to (1) _____ at the port where the ship is ready to sail. His companions who have faced both (2) _____ and sunshine with a smile, are united by their undying spirit of adventure. Though death would end everything, Ulysses urges his companions to join him and sail beyond the sunset and seek a newer (3) _____ , regardless of consequences. These brave hearts who had once moved (4) _____ and earth, may have grown old and weak . physically but their spirit is young and (5) _____ His call is an inspiration for all those who seek true knowledge and strive to lead (6) _____ lives.

Answers:

1. gather

2. thunder

3. world

4. heaven

5. undaunted

6. meaningful

No. Question Answer

(a) Why is Ulysses not happy to perform his duties as a king? He is bored with routine royal duties and longs for adventurous voyages beyond the horizon.

(b) What does he think of the people of his kingdom? The citizens of Ithaca merely eat, sleep, and hoard; they cannot understand his lofty dreams.

(c) What has Ulysses gained from his travel experiences? He has learnt diverse cultures, climates, and governance, and mastered battle strategies.

(d) Pick out the lines which convey that his quest for travel is unending. “How dull it is to pause, to make an end, / To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!”

(e) What do you understand from ‘As tho’ to breathe were life!’? Ulysses believes life must be active and adventurous, not mere existence.

(f) What does Ulysses yearn for? He yearns to pursue knowledge endlessly, “like a sinking star beyond the utmost bound of human thought.”

(g) Who does the speaker address in the second part? He addresses the readers, contrasting his role with that of his son Telemachus.

(h) Why did Ulysses want to hand over the kingdom to his son? He finds Telemachus wise and steady, while his own heart yearns for exploration.

(i) How would Telemachus transform the subjects? Through love and prudence, Telemachus will civilize the rugged citizens of Ithaca.

(j) ‘He works his work, I mine’ – How is the work distinguished? Telemachus rules Ithaca wisely; Ulysses pursues adventure and immortal glory.

(k) In what ways were Ulysses and his mariners alike? Both are old yet strong in will “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

(l) What could be the possible outcomes of their travel? They may perish at sea or reach the blessed isles to meet Achilles, dying heroically.

3. Identify the figures of speech employed in the following lines.

Question (a)

“Thro” scudding drifts the rainy Hyades

Vext the dim sea…”

Answer:

The figure of speech Personification is employed in the above lines.

Question (b)

“For always roaming with a hungry heart”

Answer:

Metaphor

Question (c)

“And drunk delight of battle with my peers;”

Answer:

Metaphor

Question (d)

“…..the deep

Moans round with many voices.”

Answer:

Personification

Question (e)

“To follow knowledge like a sinking star.”

Answer:

Simile

Question (f)

“ There lies the port the vessel puffs her sai”

Answer:

Personification

Additional Questions

Question (a)

“I will drink life to the lees’”

Answer:

Metaphor

Language Resources

Question (b)

“Vext the dim sea:”

Answer:

Personification

Question (c)

“Yet all experience is an arch wherethro”

Answer:

Metaphor

Question (d)

“Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades”

Answer:

Metaphor

Question (e)

“To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!”

Answer:

Metaphor

Question (f)

“There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,”

Answer:

Metaphor

Question (g)

“Souls that have toil’d, and wrought, and thought with me”

Answer:

Synecdoche (part of the whole)

Question (h)

“The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed”

Answer:

Metaphor

Question (i)

“T is not too late to seek a newer world.”

Answer:

Synecdoche

Question (j)

“…in order smite The sounding furrows;”

Answer:

Metaphor

Question (k)

“To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths”

Answer:

Metaphor

Question (l)

“It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,”

Answer:

Allusion (in Greek mythology the place is known as Greek paradise)

Question (m)

“And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.”

Answer:

Allusion (Greek mythology)

Appreciate The Poem

4. Read the sets of lines from the poem and answer the questions that follow.

Poetry

(a) “…I mete and dole

Unequal laws unto a savage race,

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.”

Question (i) What does Ulysses do?

Answer: Ulysses, like a petty shopkeeper, measures out and distributes unequal rewards and punishments unto a vast multitude of uncivilised citizens. He performs the dull, mechanical duties of a ruler — meting and doling out justice to a race that neither understands nor acknowledges him.

Question (ii) Did he enjoy what he was doing? Give reasons.

Answer: No, he derived no joy from his work. He detests the idea of ministering variable justice to people who, like drones or mere animals, only eat, sleep and multiply their kind. He finds the task monotonous and degrading, and longs to leave such drudgery to his son Telemachus, who is better suited to it.

—

(b) “Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough

Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades

For ever and for ever when I move.”

Question (i) What is experience compared to?

Answer: Experience is compared to an arch — a gateway through which one gazes upon the untravelled world beyond.

Question (ii) How do the lines convey that the experience is endless?

Answer: Through the arch of experience, one catches a glimpse of the untravelled world. But the margin of that world fades for ever and for ever as one moves forward. The more one experiences, the more there remains to be experienced. Thus, experience is endless — an ever-receding horizon that beckons the seeker onward.

—

(c) “Little remains: but every hour is saved

From that eternal silence, something more,

A bringer of new things; and vile it were”

Question (i) How is every hour important to Ulysses?

Answer: One lives in this world but for a limited span. Every hour snatched from the eternal silence of death can bring new knowledge and fresh experience. Hence, every hour is precious to Ulysses, for it is a bringer of new things.

Question (ii) What does the term ‘Little remains’ convey?

Answer: The term ‘Little remains’ conveys Ulysses’ poignant awareness that he has grown old and that very little of his life remains. He has not much time left before the eternal silence of death overtakes him. He refuses, therefore, to waste his remaining years in idle rest within his kingdom.

—

(d) “This is my son, mine own Telemachus,

To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle

Well-loved of me,”

Question (i) Who does Ulysses entrust his kingdom to, in his absence?

Answer: Ulysses entrusts his kingdom to his beloved son Telemachus in his absence.

Question (ii) Bring out the significance of the ‘sceptre’.

Answer: The sceptre is an ornamental staff carried by a king on ceremonial occasions as a symbol of sovereignty. It symbolises the power and authority of a king. By leaving the sceptre to Telemachus, Ulysses formally transfers royal authority and the burden of governance to his son.

—

(e) “That ever with a frolic welcome took

The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed”

Question (i) What do ‘thunder’ and ‘sunshine’ refer to?

Answer: ‘Thunder’ and ‘sunshine’ refer to misfortunes and happy days respectively. Ulysses and his comrades had undergone both kinds of experiences — storms and calms, dangers and delights — with equal courage.

Question (ii) What do we infer about the attitude of the sailors?

Answer: The sailors shared the undying quest for exploration, adventure and the pursuit of newer knowledge in the untravelled world. They welcomed dangers with a frolic welcome and even dared to oppose the Gods themselves. They revelled in the thrill of action and never worried about the outcome of battles or quests. They possessed one equal temper of heroic hearts.

—

(f) “Death closes all: but something ere the end,

Some work of noble note, may yet be done,

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.”

Question (i) The above lines convey the undying spirit of Ulysses. Explain.

Answer: Ulysses is fully aware of his ageing and the substantial decrease in his physical strength. He knows that death will close in on him sooner or later. But before that happens, he yearns to sail beyond the sunset and, if possible, meet warriors like Achilles. He wishes to achieve something worthy of those who challenged and strove with the Gods. Thus, these lines reveal the undying spirit of Ulysses — his refusal to surrender to age or fate.

Question (ii) Pick out the words in alliteration in the above lines.

Answer: ‘ere’, ‘end’, ‘noble’, ‘note’ are the words that alliterate.

—

(g) “……… for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.”

Question (i) What was Ulysses’ purpose in life?

Answer: Ulysses proposes to sail beyond the sunset and the baths of all the western stars. His goal is not death but is in death — he seeks life in death. Ordinary mortals cannot reach the ‘Happy Isles’ or the baths while they are alive. Ulysses wants to find direct evidence of spiritual reality after death. He wants to venture into the unknown.

Question (ii) How long would his venture last?

Answer: His venture would last until he confronts his death.

—

(h) “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.”

Question (i) Though made weak by time and fate, the hearts are heroic. Explain.

Answer: Ulysses and his compatriots have visited many strange places in their previous voyages and have enjoyed misfortunes and glorious triumphs with the same heroic temperament. They might have grown old and may no longer possess the same physical strength they had in youth. But they still share the thirst for travel and the pursuit of knowledge in the unexplored world. Their bravery and spiritual strength remain intact. Hence, though made weak by time and fate, their hearts remain heroic.

Question (ii) Pick out the words in alliteration in the above lines.

Answer: ‘Strive’, ‘seek’, ‘heroic’, ‘hearts’ are the words that alliterate.5. # Explain with reference to the context the following lines.

Question (a)

“I cannot rest from travel: I will drink

Life to the lees:”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: Ulysses, after spending many years upon the seas, returns to Ithaca and begins ruling his country. But his heart is not in the administration of his kingdom. He longs to set sail once again. It is in this context that he speaks these words. He wishes to enjoy life to the fullest and cannot afford to idle away his remaining years as a king. The phrase “drink life to the lees” signifies his desire to drain the cup of life to its very dregs — to experience everything that life has to offer, down to the last drop.

—

Question (b)

“I am become a name;

For always roaming with a hungry heart”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: Ulysses speaks these words while reflecting upon the reputation he has earned among the common multitude through his daring adventures. He has roamed the world like a hungry lion, always yearning for fresh experiences. The line carries a biblical allusion as well: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matthew V. 6). Though Ulysses is aware of his fame, it does not persuade him to stay or settle down in the kingdom of Ithaca. His inquisitive spirit is forever peering through ‘the arch’ towards the untravelled world, seeking newer knowledge.

—

Question (c)

“How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: The poet speaks these words through Ulysses while describing the mental agony of a man unable to settle down with his ageing wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. Ulysses finds the task of doling out justice to a savage people intolerably boring. He does not wish to settle down and die in Ithaca. He compares himself to a sword that may rust if left unused. He wants to lead an active and adventurous life till his dying breath. The metaphor of the unburnished sword powerfully conveys his fear of growing stagnant through inaction.

—

Question (d)

“To follow knowledge like a sinking star,

Beyond the utmost bound of human thought”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: The poet speaks these words while describing the quest Ulysses has for adventure and fulfilment. Like a sinking star, Ulysses wishes to pursue knowledge in his failing old age. His quest is defined by the pursuit of new and unique knowledge “beyond the utmost bound of human thought.” The simile of the sinking star suggests that even as his life declines, his thirst for knowledge burns ever bright — much like Goethe’s Faust, whose quest for knowledge knows no bounds.

Question (e)

“He works his work, I mine.”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: The poet speaks these words while justifying Ulysses’ decision to pass on his kingdom to Telemachus. Ulysses explains the polar difference between himself and his son. Telemachus will be a ‘fair’ and ‘decent’ ruler. Unlike Ulysses, Telemachus is rooted in regular political life. He enjoys leading the “savage” population and takes upon himself the responsibility of teaching his subjects better moral codes of conduct and upholding justice. Ulysses, however, finds this “slow” and intolerable. So he wishes his son to rule Ithaca while he himself sets sail towards the unknown.

Question (f)

“….you and I are old;

Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: In this part of the monologue, the poet describes the address made by Ulysses to his compatriots who stood by him through “thunder and sunshine.” He admits the fact that they are growing old. But he does not wish to retire like ordinary mortals. He accepts gracefully the honour befitting old age as a result of varied cultural experiences. Yet, he does not want old people to bow out of the field of action. He sincerely believes that there is more work to be done, lands to be explored, and newer knowledge to be acquired in old age before death claims them.

Question (g)

“The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep

Moans round with many voices.”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: The poet continues to discuss old age and the tantalising call of the oceans to conquer. Ulysses hints at the probable end of the cycle of life in the words “The long day wanes.” The symbol of darkness or night is mostly associated with death. The lure of the ocean to resume his voyages beyond the point of sunset is too tempting to resist. The dark, unfathomable sea beckons him and his compatriots with mysterious voices. The slow climbing of the moon and the moaning deep create an atmosphere of solemn mystery and impending adventure.

Question (h)

“It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: The poet speaks these words through Ulysses regarding the probable outcome of the daring voyage at the fag end of his life. Ulysses is uncertain about what awaits him on his last voyage. But he surmises that he might reach the ‘Happy Isles’ and see the ‘great Achilles’ — the legendary Greek hero whom he knew in his youth. The reference to the Happy Isles (the Elysian fields reserved for heroes) and to Achilles suggests Ulysses’ hope for a glorious afterlife among the heroes of old.

Question (i)

“We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven;”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: The poet speaks these words through Ulysses when he wishes to justify the reasons for resuming the daring voyage. He admits the decline in his compatriots’ physical strength — the very strength with which they were able to move heaven and earth in their youth. He asks his compatriots to ignore the infirmity of age and draw upon their inner spiritual strength to resume their voyage beyond the sunset. Though the body weakens, the will remains unconquered.

Question (j)

“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘Ulysses’ written by Alfred Tennyson.

Context and Explanation: Tennyson speaks these words through Ulysses, who makes his motto loud and clear in this final line of the poem. It is Ulysses’ enduring challenge to readers as well. The challenge is whether the aged can push ahead with vigour and strength of will, no matter how fragile their bodies may be. To yield to age or weakness is to be less than fully human. It might be honourable to live a peaceful, settled life in old age. But one would naturally miss out on the most exciting moments of life if one does not venture out, at least a little, towards the unknown. This line stands as the immortal anthem of the indomitable human spirit.

6. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of about 100 words each.

Question (a) What makes Ulysses seek newer adventures?

Answer: In the context of the poem, Ulysses has grown old. He has experienced all daring adventures and won the hearts of people during the battle at Troy. Back home, as per the prophecy of Tiresias, he rules Ithaca for a brief time. But he is fed up with the conventional duties of a king. He laments his own uselessness as a ruler of idle people who lead lives like savages, merely eating and sleeping. They do not understand the over-vaulting ambition of their adventurous king, who had moved earth and heaven in the past. He wishes to embark upon his next voyage — it might be his last. He is quite sensitive to the moans of the seas, tantalising him and his compatriots to set sail quickly. He wants “to drink life to the lees.” Ulysses does not wish to bask in the glory he has earned in the past.

His inquisitive spirit is restless. He has seen much and acquired knowledge of various cultures of the world. But he considers all such experiences like an “arch” leading him to the unexplored or “untravelled world.” He wants to sail towards the region “beyond sunset.” He must shine in use like a sword, but not “rust unburnished.” Yet at home, in the kingdom of Ithaca, he feels bored and yearns to truly engage with what is left of life. He is impatient for “new” experiences, lamenting every day and every hour, to seek “something more.” His quest for adventure and fulfilment, like the goal of Goethe’s Faust, is defined by the pursuit of new knowledge “beyond the utmost bound of human thought.”

Question (b) List the roles and responsibilities Ulysses assigns to his son Telemachus, while he is away.

Answer: The entire poem is a monologue. Yet the second part of the poem is an address to the readers, justifying Ulysses’ decision to transfer the rule to his son Telemachus. The cloak of a king seems unfit for the temperament of Ulysses. He finds ruling Ithaca a boring thing. He finds Telemachus rooted in the political life of Ithaca. His role is merely to lead a “savage race” to accept standard norms of behaviour in society. He believes Telemachus fits well with the role of the ruler of “uninspired and imprudent citizens” and may discharge his duties with honour and grace. When he is away, he wants his son Telemachus to dispense variable justice to the subjects of Ithaca and guide them in the path of virtues and morals. Telemachus is “centred in the sphere of common duties” — he is patient, prudent and dutiful, and will do his work while Ulysses does his own.

Question (c) What is Ulysses’ clarion call to his sailors? How does he inspire them?

Answer: In the third part of the poem, Ulysses makes a clarion call to his hearty compatriots — that is, the mariners. They have been with him both during “thick and thin,” in thunder and sunshine. Like Ulysses, they possess “free hearts and free foreheads” — that is, their hearts and brains are unburdened by domestic cares and responsibilities. They had frolicsome times fighting along with Ulysses against great warriors and Gods in the past. Ulysses does not want to live in the memory of glory. He believes they need not waste away their precious time in nostalgic memories, merely recounting their escapades to the younger generation. They can really do “something of noble note” before the end. He is conscious of the impending death in old age. But he tells them it is not “too late to seek a newer world.”

The many “voices of the ocean” call out to the mariners to resume the voyage. Ulysses is not content with having earned a name for himself. He has seen many countries and acquired knowledge of various cultures. Those experiences are not to be taken as accomplishments. They are just an “arch” leading them to the “untravelled world” and constantly sailing to the ever-expanding horizon. He does not want his compatriots to miss even an hour which could provide them novel experiences in their voyage. He persuades his compatriots to gather at the port as the sails are already puffing up, welcoming them all. Their life would be one of fulfilment only when they venture out into the unknown on the seas. He uses an emotional bait for his mariners. He highlights the probable outcome of their voyage. They might reach the “Happy Isles” — that is, the great paradise — and meet Achilles, their war hero. No matter how much strength they have lost, they still have some “strength of will” left to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Listening Activity

Listen to the poem and fill in the blanks with appropriate words and phrases. If required listen to the poem again.

Wander-thirst

BEYOND the East the sunrise, beyond the West the sea, And East and West the wander-thirst that will not let me be; It works in me like madness, dear, to bid me say good-bye; For the seas call, and the stars call, and oh! the call of the sky!

I know not where the white road runs, nor what the blue hills are; But a man can have the sun for a friend, and for his guide a star; And there’s no end of voyaging when once the voice is heard, For the rivers call, and the roads call, and oh! the call of the bird!

Yonder the long horizon lies, and there by night and day The old ships draw to home again, the young ships sail away; And come I may, but go I must, and, if men ask you why, You may put the blame on the stars and the sun and the white road and the sky.

Poetry

Choose the best option and complete the sentences:

Question 1

works like madness in the poet.

(a) Wander – Thirst

(b) Bidding Farewell

(c) Eastern Sunrise

(d) Western Seas

Answer:

(a) Wander – Thirst

Question 2.

A man could choose as his guide.

(a) the sun

(b) the hills

(c) a star

(d) a bird

Answer:

(c) a star

Question 3.

There is no end of once the voice is heard.

(a) walking

(b) roaming

(c) talking

(d) voyaging

Answer:

(d) voyaging

Question 4.

The old ships return, while the young ships

(a) drift

(b) move

(c) sail

(d) wander

Answer:

(c) sail

Question 5.

The blame is on the sun, stars, the road and the

(a) hills

(b) trees

(c) seas

(d) sky

Answer:

(d) sky

Ulysses About The Poet

Alfred Tennyson was the poet laureate of England and Ireland during Queen Victoria ‘s reign. Tennyson excelled in writing short lyrics such as “Break, Break, Break“, “ Tears Idle Tears“, “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and. ‘Crossing the Bar’. Tennyson’s use of the musical qualities of words to emphasis his rhythms and meanings is sensitive.

Ulysses Summary in English

Opening dissatisfaction Ulysses, now king of Ithaca, feels restless and discontent with ruling over “a savage race” who only eat, sleep, and hoard. He finds domestic duties monotonous and unworthy of his adventurous spirit.

Reflection on past experiences He recalls his heroic past—wars fought, lands explored, cultures encountered—and declares that he is “a part of all that I have met.” These experiences have shaped his identity and left him with a “hungry heart” that cannot be satisfied by idleness.

Philosophy of life Ulysses insists that mere existence is not true living. He believes life must be active, adventurous, and purposeful. He compares experience to “an arch” through which new worlds are glimpsed, always receding as one moves forward—symbolizing the endless quest for knowledge.

Passing the crown Recognizing his own yearning for exploration, Ulysses entrusts the governance of Ithaca to his son Telemachus, whom he praises as wise, prudent, and capable of ruling with love and justice.

Call to adventure In the final section, Ulysses turns to his old mariners. Though aged and weakened by time and fate, he urges them to join him in one last voyage “beyond the sunset.” He acknowledges death is inevitable but insists it is nobler to strive for greatness than to yield to inactivity.

Immortal lines The poem concludes with the famous declaration: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” This encapsulates the indomitable human spirit—perseverance, courage, and the refusal to surrender to despair.

“Ulysses” – கவிதையின் சுருக்கம் (Tamil Translation)

தொடக்க அதிருப்தி

இதாகாவின் அரசனாக இருக்கும் யுலிசீஸ், வெறுமனே உண்ணவும், உறங்கவும், சேமித்து வைக்கவும் மட்டுமே தெரிந்த “காட்டுமிராண்டி இனத்தை” ஆள்வதில் அமைதியின்மையும் அதிருப்தியும் அடைகிறார். வீட்டு கடமைகள் அவருக்கு சலிப்பூட்டுவதாகவும், அவரது சாகச உணர்வுக்கு தகுதியற்றதாகவும் தோன்றுகிறது.

கடந்த அனுபவங்களை நினைவுகூர்தல்

தான் நடத்திய போர்கள், ஆராய்ந்த நிலங்கள், சந்தித்த பண்பாடுகள் ஆகியவற்றை நினைவுகூரும் அவர், “நான் சந்தித்த அனைத்தின் ஒரு பகுதி நானே” என்று அறிவிக்கிறார். இந்த அனுபவங்கள் அவரது அடையாளத்தை வடிவமைத்து, சும்மா இருப்பதால் திருப்தி அடைய முடியாத “பசித்த இதயத்தை” அவருக்கு விட்டுச் சென்றுள்ளன.

வாழ்க்கை தத்துவம்

வெறும் இருப்பு உண்மையான வாழ்க்கை அல்ல என்று யுலிசீஸ் வலியுறுத்துகிறார். வாழ்க்கை சுறுசுறுப்பானதாகவும், சாகசமானதாகவும், நோக்கமுள்ளதாகவும் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று அவர் நம்புகிறார். அனுபவத்தை ஒரு “வளைவு” (arch) என்று ஒப்பிடுகிறார் — அதன் வழியாக புதிய உலகங்கள் தெரிகின்றன, ஒருவர் முன்னே நகரும் போதெல்லாம் அவை எப்போதும் பின்னோக்கி விலகுகின்றன — இது அறிவுக்கான முடிவில்லா தேடலின் அடையாளமாகும்.

முடிசூட்டலை கடத்துதல்

தனது சொந்த ஆராய்ச்சி ஆசையை உணர்ந்து, யுலிசீஸ் இதாகாவின் ஆட்சியை தனது மகன் டெலிமாக்கஸிடம் ஒப்படைக்கிறார். அவரை ஞானமுள்ளவன், விவேகமுள்ளவன், அன்புடனும் நீதியுடனும் ஆட்சி செய்யும் திறன் கொண்டவன் என்று புகழ்கிறார்.

சாகசத்திற்கான அழைப்பு

இறுதிப் பகுதியில், யுலிசீஸ் தனது வயதான மாலுமிகளை நோக்கி திரும்புகிறார். காலமும் விதியும் பலவீனப்படுத்தியிருந்தாலும், “சூரிய அஸ்தமனத்திற்கு அப்பால்” ஒரு இறுதிப் பயணத்தில் தன்னுடன் இணையுமாறு அவர்களை வலியுறுத்துகிறார். மரணம் தவிர்க்க முடியாதது என்பதை அவர் ஒப்புக்கொள்கிறார், ஆனால் செயலற்ற தன்மையிடம் விட்டுக்கொடுப்பதை விட மேன்மைக்காக பாடுபடுவதே உயர்ந்தது என்று வலியுறுத்துகிறார்.

அழியாத வரிகள்

கவிதை புகழ்பெற்ற அறிவிப்புடன் நிறைவடைகிறது:

“பாடுபட, தேட, கண்டுபிடிக்க, விட்டுக்கொடுக்காதே.”

இது வெல்ல முடியாத மனித ஆவியை — விடாமுயற்சி, தைரியம், மற்றும் விரக்தியிடம் சரணடைய மறுப்பு — சுருக்கமாக வெளிப்படுத்துகிறது.

Ulysses Glossary

Glossary Table