According to some critics, in “Ulysses” Tennyson expresses his realization that courage and determination are to be valued only if they contribute to the good life, personal and social. Thus

According to some critics, in “Ulysses” Tennyson expresses his realization that courage and determination are to be valued only if they contribute to the good life, personal and social. Thus, if we are to regard Tennyson’s persona in a positive light, we must see his final voyage as potentially productive, as a journey of exploration. How then, is that sort of reading of the poem a reflection of Victorian ideas and values? Be sure to refer to specific places in the poem.