RysnFenix | Quote Of The Week

"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."

Analysis Of The Quote

This is a piece extracted from one of the extraordinary works of Alfred Lord Tennyson. His poem Ulysses was based on the Greek hero - it depicts Ulysses's sentiments towards his dull life as he believes himself to be the inactive king of the little island of Ithaca.

 

After ten years of fighting his country’s battle at Troy and another ten years in the eventful voyages of adventure on the wild seas, Ulysses comes back home. However, after his wonderful ventures and adventures abroad, he finds the life at home monotonous and an environment he doesn't want to live in anymore.

 

Ulysses speaks to himself and proclaims that he can't rest and is compelled to live and cherish each drop of his life to the fullest. He has enjoyed every experience he had as a sailor who traveled the seas, and he considers himself a symbol for people who like to roam and wander around the earth. Moreover, during his travels, he was exposed to many different types of people and ways of living. Ulysses goes on to say that while fighting the Trojan War with his men, he developed great delight in battle. He later claims in the poem that his travels and encounters have shaped who he is now. When he's traveling, the margin of the world shrinks, and that margin provokes him to go further and explore parts of the world he has never seen.

 

Ulysses says that he does not like to live an idle and comfortable life by the domestic fireside with his aged wife sitting beside him. He also dislikes ruling a rocky island of Ithaca - a kingdom where the laws are imperfect and the people uncivilized. The people of his country don't have any purpose nor do they want to create one because all they want to amass money, sleep and feed themselves. They are happy when their physical needs are satisfied - they aspire for nothing more than this standard of living. Shortsightedness prevents such to appreciate the lofty ideals of an amazing man, like Ulysses.

 

This part from the poem poetically summarizes Ulysses’s contempt for a dull life as a ruler and husband. A life that has no purpose and is spent tp satisfy the temporary needs of a man.

What Do We Learn From Ulysses?

Ulysses never wanted to live like an ordinary man for he thought that his purpose as a human was to do exceed and excel. A person living in this modern age will relate with this poem. We are living in a competitive world and narcissistic society - it's members are so engrossed in themselves and their lives that they can't get out of that cycle of life.

 

We also learn from this poem having an untraditional lifestyles should not be considered as a curse, rather as a blessing. Some of us, if not all, are going through hard times. For instance, some individuals are living in dysfunctional families. Those people may think that  because they aren't living a normal life, they can't strive for something better.

 

Many generations come and go thinking that they are the changemakers but the truth is that we as a society don't want to let go of all luxuries and bounties to do something that's extraordinary or at least not normal. 

 

With the rise of social media, it's at times funny how people use those platforms to educate individuals and try to remove social barriers and topple social standards because in my opinion, we are constructing even more barriers between each other. Nowadays, most of us strive for a glamorous lifestyle - everyone wants to become famous and rich.

 

In fact, these days people aren't ready to strive for what they want. They want to have an easy life. Nobody wants to face obstacles and if someone has to go through a tough time they could crumple their life and throw it in the bin like paper. Now, of course, I am not rejecting the fact thst circumstances are different for everyone and constant struggle may eradicate one's ambitions and aspirations.

 

However, the point is that the worst thing that you can do to a person is blanket them so that the difficulty can't touch them at all. Supporting people facing hardships is good but toxic positivity and not teaching them (especially your children) on how to deal with their struggles. It's a long road but behind that huge wall is relief and peace.

 

Talking about peace and relief, another thing that we need to understand that having a mansion, million dollars in your pocket and a luxurious life will not satiate you nor will it give you a sense of fulfillment because ungratefulness is part of human nature. Life is beyond these pleasures and daily cycle of  work, home and sleep.

 

Your body and soul may be temporarily relieved by giving it instant comfort but the truth is that it's not going to benefit you in the long run. Everyone has a purpose and we should try to understand why we are here. We all have the ability to contribute to society in one way or another.

 

While you are scrolling through your social media platforms and reading the newspapers, you may lose hope and feel that you can't change this world because there are so many problems. However, almost every human being wants to first meet their own needs before thinking about something. We want power. We want fame. We want wealth but only a small proportion of us will choose to sacrifice for the betterment of this world and society.

 

The key isn't to stop looking after yourself and to stop achieving goals that will help raise your standard of living. However, one must realize that even without having what Elon Musk or any other powerful person has in this world - we are still living. It may be hard, but we are alive. Our existence itself is a miracle - from a clot of blood to starting the technological revolution and now evolving and making advancements at a fast pace.

 

We can do a lot to improve our and the lives of others around us if we put in a little effort. If we realize that non traditional lifestyles aren’t bizarre and they can make the most out their life to be better and help others have a better life as well.