2. 1833-1901
Booming economy, rapid
growth
◦ Brutal factory conditions,
filthy slums
Despite negative aspects,
great optimism
◦ Faith in making everything
right with the world
◦ Attempts to expand
democracy, help the poor
3. Women
◦ Allowed to attend universities
◦ Workday reduced
Children
◦ Free grammar schools
◦ Workday reduced
Living/Working conditions
◦ Public sanitation
◦ Regulated factories and housing
Business
◦ Repeal of Corn Laws (high taxes on grain)
◦ Free trade
4. 1809-1892
Most popular poet
of Victorian Era
Influenced by
Romantic poets
“One of the finest looking men in the world. A
great shock of rough dusty-dark hair; bright-
laughing hazel eyes…of sallow-brown
complexion, almost Indian-looking.”
Thomas Carlyle
5. 4th of 12 children
Educated by his father at a
young age
Bitter, angry father unhappy
home environment
Cambridge University
◦ Bored, disappointed by classes
Best friend, Arthur Henry
Hallum, died at 22 (stroke)
◦ Devastated Tennyson, inspired work Hallum
6. Became incredibly
popular in London
1850 Queen Victoria
appointed him poet
laureate after
Wordsworth died
1884 made a baron,
added “Lord” to name
◦ First English author to earn
this title for his writing
7. Speaker: the person who „says‟ the words of a
poem; not necessarily the poet
Speaker categories:
◦ Fictional or Real
◦ Generalized (not described in specific detail) or
Specific (given a detailed identity)
8. Tennyson shows different
experiences of time:
◦ Perpetual present (nothing
significant changes)
◦ Restless movement from
past accomplishment into
an unknown future
◦ Loss of the past
9. Based on Homer‟s epic the Odyssey
Story of Greek king (Ulysses) who fought in the
Trojan War for 10 years then wandered the seas
for 10 more
Ulysses returns home to Ithaca and faces old age
Restless- considers going on another journey
10. 1. Who is the speaker?
◦ (fictional/real, generalized/specific)
2. Lines 1-5, Ulysses says its pointless to do what?
3. L.11-12: What does Ulysses feel he is a symbol of?
4. L.19-21: (a) When is the only time the world‟s “margin
fades” and (b) what does this mean?
5. L.30-32: What does Ulysses‟ “gray spirit” desire?
6. L.43: What does Ulysses mean by “he works his work, I
mine”?
7. L.49: To whom is Ulysses speaking when he says “you
and I are old”?
8. L.52-55: What does he believe may still be done before
“the long day wanes”?
9. L.59-61: What is Ulysses‟ goal/purpose?
10. What is Ulysses‟ overall attitude towards life?