Examination of Tennyson's use of Narrative Voice in his Poetry

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Examination of Tennyson's use of Narrative Voice in his Poetry

Tennyson employs the effects of narrative voice frequently in his poetry, the emotional impression of which varies from poem to poem and indeed, from reader to reader. However, within the poems studied the use of a ‘voice’ appears to consistently attempt to convey some theme or emotive experience in which the reader is invited, if not encouraged, to experience from the perspective of the appropriate speaker.

In Ulysses the reader is witness to Ulysses’ reminiscences of more exciting years in his past, in which he laments over the reversion of his life to that of an ‘idle king’. Here, Tennyson is able to present a recurrent theme in his poetry: activity or the lack thereof. However, the use of a persona provides the reader with a more personally emotional representation of this theme, evoking an empathy perhaps not achievable otherwise. The admirable resistance of Ulysses to the incompetency of old age is extremely persuasive, his optimism affects the reader in such a way as to sway them towards a similar opinion and ...

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