This is from the final stanza of one of my favourite poems, Tennyson’s Ulysses.
Long after returning from the victory at Troy, the Greek hero addresses his faithful mariners, knowing that this may be his last expedition. When all is done, Ulysses hopes to find himself in the after-life, surrounded by the famous figures of Greek Mythology. Although he knows his men have been ‘made weak by time and fate’, they are resolved to fight on in their adventures until the very end.
This poem is to be enjoyed simply for its artistic value, but I also find it an inspiring metaphor. In any walk of life, whether changing the world for the better, or fighting off a pesky cold, there is little better advice than ‘To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield’
