Ulysses (poem)

Study Guide

Literary Devices

Structure

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Literary Devices Structure

“Ulysses” consists of three stanzas of varying length. These stanzas organize the poem into distinct sections, in each of which the speaker has a different focus and addresses a different audience. In the first stanza, the speaker reflects on his past experiences and considers his present feelings of restlessness and disenchantment. Here, the speaker addresses himself, ruminating on what brought him to this point in his life and working out what to do next. In the second stanza, the speaker shifts his attention to his son, Telemachus, who will take over as leader once he’s gone. Here, the speaker appears to address his community, reassuring them that they’ll be left in good hands. Finally, in the third stanza, the speaker turns his mind to the future and to his final voyage of exploration and discovery. Here, he addresses his mariners in a rousing speech meant to inspire a spirit of adventure. Across these stanzas, the poem traces two parallel trajectories: (1) from the speaker’s past to his future, and (2) from the speaker’s internal experience to worldly activity. Taken together, these trajectories reflect the speaker’s desire to move from a state of idleness to a life of adventure.

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