The Old Hero (A discussion of the hero Odysseus in his older years) Once upon a time there was a story written about a man in ancient Greece who deceived man and God. He was part of a famous war, the Trojan War, which of course had the famous Trojan Horse tactics, was a very important part of history. For both historical and literary purposes. “Still seeking entry into Troy, the intelligent Odysseus (some say with the help of Athena) ordered a large wooden horse to be built. Its interior had to be hollow so that soldiers could hide there. » (Pompey) This created one of the best characters of all time. His name is Ulysses. There was an old book written by Homer about him, and then in the 19th century a great poem written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The new poem deals with the latter parts of Odysseus' life. From Tennyson's poem, you can glean three things: Odysseus's goal, his thoughts on age, and his feelings toward life in general. First of all, the story written about Odysseus by Alfred tells us the purpose of his life. Since this poem focuses on the last years of this hero's life, it actually describes his weaknesses as an older man. Like not being able to rule your country, Ithaca. I think one thing Odysseus wants to do in this poem is pass the torch of his nation to his son, Telemachus. “Here is my son, my own Telemachus, to whom I leave the scepter and the island” (Page 972, 33-34). Another goal of Odysseus is to make up for lost time with his wife Penelope. He was away from her for twenty years. And now he wants to reconcile with her. “Arthur Hallum, Tennyson's friend, had just died at sea. Tennyson must continue to carry out his duties anyway. He also needed to find comfort in Hallum's death - he died as an active man engaged in meaningful affairs...... middle of paper ...... with the triumph of Odysseus, being able to distance himself from power, love and his home. (Cooke)Works CitedCooke, Charles. "Introduction." Supernatural Press. Np, and Web. April 7, 2014. .Johnson, Rose. “Alfred, Lord Tennyson.” Los Angeles Technology Education. Np, and Web. April 6, 2014. .P., Samyuthka. "Ulysses - a dramatic monologue." All about poetry. Np, and Web. April 7, 2014. .Peterson, Christain. “Ulysses theme of old age.” Shmoop. Np, and Web. April 6, 2014. .Pompée, Rita. "The Trojan War". Stanford Education. Np, and Web. April 6. 2014. .