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Close Reading

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Close Reading Paper
Ulysses by: Alfred, Lord Tenyson
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;
Title
Everyone goes through hard times in their life and will always be fighting some type of battle, but if they keep a positive attitude and never lose focus of their goal things will more than likely get better for that person. In this case it is Ulysses who has made plenty of mistakes in his life just like everyone else. Ulysses has made his mistakes but doesn’t forget or regret them because those mistakes have shaped him into the person he is.
Lines 6-18 of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's' poem is reminiscent. Ulysses remembers his time sailing and how many good memories he has made with his crew. From conquering the one eyed Cyclopes to the horrible night when they killed the cows and had to suffer the consequences. These incidents have made Ulysses a stronger person inside and out. Being gone from his wife Penelope and son Telemachus has taught him that family is precious and even though Ulysses has not been faithful to her, he realizes that no one can replace her.
In the poem Ulysses, Ulysses says to himself, "I cannot rest from travel" at the beginning of line 6. Ulysses is saying that he wants to live his life to the fullest. Even though he has missed his family and hates being in one place for a long periods of time, he has enjoyed

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