Analyze the poem as a yearning for individualism and knowledge, rather than focusing on its undercurrents of insensitivity and misogyny.

Many
scholars and readers have noted that Tennyson's "" exhibits strong undercurrents of
misogyny and general male insensitivity. This point is perfectly valid, as the Ulysses in the
poem shows a remarkable disregard for the needs of his wife, son, and loyal subjects. Be that as
it may, the poem is also significant in its examination of individualism and the thirst for
knowledge. Indeed, one could accurately say that the poem argues for the centrality of the
individual's need to learn and discover.

In remembering his past deeds,
Ulysses notes, "always roaming with a hungry heart / Much have I seen and known"
(12-13), thus suggesting that he has always yearned for the freedom to learn through travel.
Indeed, by the end of the first stanza, the aged king asserts that he is "yearning in
desire / To follow knowledge like a sinking star, / Beyond the utmost bound of human
thought" (30-32). This individualistic desire to learn about the world through adventure
becomes the focus of the poem, and it is the primary driving force that motivates Ulysses to
finally leave home and set off on a new journey. As such, it's hardly surprising that, toward
the end of the poem, Ulysses promises "To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths / Of all
the western stars, until I die" (60-61). In short, though the Ulysses in the poem is
decidedly misogynistic in his rejection of his wife and family, he also displays an admirable
individualism, as his decision to leave ultimately affirms the importance of individual
exploration and the search for knowledge. 

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