BEGC-110(EM) 2025-26

Tennyson's historical context adds another interpretive layer. Written shortly after Arthur Hallam's death, the poem can be read as the poet's own struggle against despair and inactivity. Ulysses' determination to continue striving despite loss reflects Victorian cultural values emphasizing progress, exploration, and refusal to accept defeat. The British Empire's expansion required such attitudes, making Ulysses both personal expression of grief's transformation into action and cultural symbol of imperial ambition.