Point of View

The poem is written exclusively from the first-person perspective. This perspective is consistent with the poem’s genre as a dramatic monologue. Dramatic monologues are generally written from the perspective of a single character — in this case, Ulysses, the Greek war hero of the Trojan War. Unlike other dramatic monologues, there is almost no second-person address, no use of the word “you” to talk to another character who is listening, except briefly to the mariners. Usually, dramatic monologues have an audience just as they have a speaker.

The use of first-person perspective here perfectly suits the poet’s goals of exploring a familiar character. Ulysses is one of the most celebrated heroes in the English literary canon, but in The Odyssey, because it is an epic poem, readers only hear about him in omniscient third person. Homer's work focuses on Ulysses's actions and readers are...