Ulysses Summary
Ulysses feels bored at home
Ulysses is now an old king. He sits quietly near the fire in his palace, surrounded by empty mountains. His wife is also old, and the people he rules are wild and simple. They only eat, sleep, and save things. They do not understand who he is or what he has done in life. Ulysses feels like this life is boring and useless for him. He wants to do something more exciting.
He misses travel and adventure
Ulysses says he cannot stop moving. He loves to travel and explore. He wants to enjoy every part of life, even the last drop. He has lived through many happy and sad moments, both with people and alone. He remembers fighting in wars and sailing through dangerous storms. People know his name because he has done great things, but his heart still wants more.
He still wants to learn and discover
Ulysses has seen many cities, met many people, and learned about different cultures and governments. He enjoyed battles with his fellow warriors. He says every experience is like a door that shows him a new world. He feels the unknown world calling to him. He does not like to sit still and do nothing. He believes real life is not just about breathing—it is about doing something. Even though he is old, he wants to use every moment to do something meaningful.
Ulysses talks about his son
Ulysses says that his son, Telemachus, will become the king after him. Telemachus is kind, responsible, and wise. He is good at managing the people and doing everyday tasks. Ulysses respects him and trusts that he will do a good job as king. But Ulysses feels that this kind of life is not for him. Telemachus will do his work, and Ulysses will do his own.
Ulysses calls his old friends
Ulysses sees the ship ready to sail. He calls his old sailor friends who worked and fought with him in the past. These men were always ready to face storms and sunshine with joy. Even though they are all old now, Ulysses tells them that old age still has meaning. Death will come one day, but before that, they can still do something brave and great.
The final journey begins
Ulysses tells his friends that it’s not too late to look for a new world. He asks them to get on the ship and start the journey. He wants to sail far away, even beyond the sunset and stars, until he dies. Maybe the sea will take them, or maybe they will reach the Happy Isles, a place of peace. Maybe they will meet their old friend Achilles again.
The poem’s powerful message
Ulysses says that a lot has been lost with time, but some strength is still left. They may not be as strong as before, but their spirit is still brave. Their hearts are still heroic. Time has made their bodies weak, but their willpower is strong. And so, they will keep going:
“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
This means: Keep trying, keep exploring, keep discovering, and never give up.
Ulysses Summary in Hindi/Urdu
Ulysses ghar mein bore ho gaya hai
Ulysses ab ek boodha raja hai. Woh apne mahal mein aag ke paas shanti se baitha rehta hai. Uske aas paas sirf pathar aur sunpan hai. Uski biwi bhi ab boodhi ho gayi hai. Jo log uski riyasat mein rehte hain, woh sirf khate, sote aur maal jama karte hain. Woh log Ulysses ko samajhte bhi nahi. Ulysses ko lagta hai ke aisi zindagi bilkul boring aur bekaar hai. Uska dil kuch exciting karne ko chahta hai.
Ulysses ko safar aur muhimat yaad aati hai
Ulysses kehta hai ke woh chain se nahi baith sakta. Usay ghoomna, safar karna aur nayi jagah dekhna pasand hai. Woh kehta hai ke use zindagi ka har pal puri tarah jeena hai — “life ke akhri qatre tak”. Usne zindagi mein bohat khushi bhi dekhi hai, aur dukh bhi — kabhi doston ke saath, kabhi akela. Uske dimaag mein purani jungon aur tufan bhari safaron ki yaadein hain. Log use jaante hain, lekin uska dil ab bhi nayi cheezein dekhna chahta hai.
Ab bhi kuch seekhne ki chahat hai
Ulysses kehta hai ke usne duniya ke bohat shehr dekhe, alag logon se mila, unke tareeqe, sarkar aur culture samjha. Usne apne dost warriors ke saath jang ka maza liya. Har tajurba uske liye ek darwaza tha, jiske baad ek nayi duniya hoti hai. Usay lagta hai ke ek ajeeb si duniya use bulati hai. Woh rukna nahi chahta. Uske liye sirf saans lena zindagi nahi hai. Zindagi matlab kuch karna, kuch banna. Chahe umar zyada ho gayi ho, woh har pal ka istemal karna chahta hai.
Apne bete Telemachus ke baare mein
Ulysses apne bete Telemachus ke baare mein kehta hai. Woh kehta hai ke uska beta samajhdaar, shant aur zimmedar hai. Woh riyasat ka kaam achhe se karega. Woh logon ke saath narmi se pesh aayega aur sab ka khayal rakhega. Ulysses use raaj dene ko tayyar hai. Lekin woh kehta hai ke aise kaam uske liye nahi hain. Telemachus apna kaam karega, aur Ulysses apna kaam.
Ulysses apne purane doston ko bulaata hai
Ulysses dekhta hai ke kashti tayyar hai. Woh apne purane saathi doston ko bulata hai, jo kabhi uske saath jungon aur safaron mein the. Ye log bijli, dhoop, tufan sab kuch haste haste jhelte the. Ab sab boodhe ho gaye hain, lekin Ulysses kehta hai ke boodhape mein bhi izzat aur kaam ka maqsad hota hai. Maut sab kuch khatam karti hai, lekin usse pehle hum kuch bohat khaas kar sakte hain.
Aakhri safar ka iraada
Ulysses apne doston se kehta hai ke abhi bhi der nahi hui hai. Chalo ek nayi duniya khojte hain. Woh chahta hai ke sab milke kashti mein baithein aur safar shuru karein. Woh kehta hai ke jab tak maut na aaye, hum suraj ke peechhe, sitaron ke paar tak jaayein. Shayad samundar hume nigal le, ya shayad hum Happy Isles jaa paayein — woh jannat jaisi jagah. Shayad hum apne purane dost Achilles se bhi mil paayein.
Kavita ka asli paighaam
Ulysses kehta hai ke haan, waqt ne humse bohat kuch le liya hai. Hum ab utne mazboot nahi jitne kabhi the, lekin humara jazba ab bhi zinda hai. Hamare dil ab bhi hero jaise hain. Hamara jism kamzor ho gaya hai, lekin humari niyyat ab bhi mazboot hai.
Aur isliye woh kehta hai:
“Koshish karte raho, dhoondhte raho, paate raho, aur kabhi haar mat maano.”
Ulysses Analysis
Who is Ulysses?
Ulysses is another name for Odysseus, the hero from Greek stories. He fought in the famous war of Troy, and after that, he took many years to come home. He is known as a brave king, a smart traveler, and a man who has seen many places and people.
In this poem, Ulysses is now old, but his heart is still young. He wants to travel again. He does not want to sit quietly as a king and do nothing.
Structure of the Poem
The poem is written in one long speech.
It has blank verse – that means it has rhythm but no rhyming.
The whole poem is Ulysses talking to us about how he feels inside.
Theme 1: Boredom of Normal Life
At the start, Ulysses says that living like a normal king is boring.
He says:
“It little profits that an idle king…”
This means: “It’s no good to be a lazy king who just sits near the fire.”
He feels sad because his people don’t understand him. They just eat, sleep, and store things.
He wants more meaning in life.
Theme 2: Love for Travel and Learning
Ulysses says he can’t sit quietly. He wants to keep exploring.
He says:
“I cannot rest from travel…”
He remembers his old journeys — he has seen cities, people, cultures, climates, governments.
He feels like he is part of everything he has seen.
And he says every experience is a kind of “door” to something new.
He wants to keep going through those doors.
He compares the unknown world to a fading light — always moving, never stopping.
Theme 3: Old Age and Spirit
Ulysses knows he is old now. But he says:
“Old age hath yet his honour and his toil…”
This means: “Even old people have some work and pride left.”
He accepts that death will come, but he says — before that, he wants to do something great again.
He feels that it’s wrong to just sit and wait for death.
He says:
“To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!”
He means: “If you don’t use your life, you become like a rusty sword — useless.”
So he wants to keep using his life until the end.
Theme 4: His Son Telemachus
Ulysses then talks about his son Telemachus.
He says his son is good, wise, and caring.
Telemachus will be a good king. He will guide the people slowly and kindly.
Ulysses says:
“He works his work, I mine.”
That means: “He will do his job, and I will do mine.”
Ulysses respects his son, but he still wants to follow his own path.
Theme 5: Final Adventure with Old Friends
Ulysses sees the ship ready to sail again.
He calls his old sailor friends who were with him in past wars and journeys.
He says:
“Come, my friends, ‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world.”
He tells them that they may be old, but they still have courage.
He wants to go beyond the sunset — maybe they will reach The Happy Isles, a kind of heaven.
Maybe they will see Achilles, their old hero friend.
Final Message: Never Give Up
In the last lines, Ulysses gives a powerful message:
“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
This means:
✅ Strive – Always try your best
✅ Seek – Keep searching for knowledge and truth
✅ Find – Discover new things
✅ Not to yield – Never give up
This is not just about Ulysses.
It’s about all of us — no matter how old we are, we can still learn, grow, and do something meaningful.
Conclusion (In Easy Words)
“Ulysses” is a poem about a man who:
Is old but full of dreams
Does not want to waste his life
Wants to explore and learn till his last breath
Believes life is about action, not rest
Tells us to live with courage and purpose
