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The Lotos-Eaters Summary | Alfred Tennyson

The Lotos-Eaters Summary | Alfred Tennyson

Writer’s Intro:

Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) is one of the greatest Victorian poets in English Literature. He is called the representative of the Victorian age because he shows all the Victorian trends in his poetry. Lack of passion and emotion, ideological conflict, technological advancement, religious controversies, materialism, industrialism, and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge are the main trends of the period. The Lotos-Eaters is one of his famous poets. So, it is important to read the The Lotos-Eaters summary.

 

Theme:

The Lotos-Eaters deals with the theme of the desire to escape the troublesome reality of nature.

 

The Lotos-Eaters Summary

First part of the summary

After a long trip, Ulysses and his crew ended up in the strange land of the Lotos-Eaters. It was an island where sad people who ate lotos lived. The land always looked like it was afternoon, and everything looked the same. Around the coast, a dreamy aura was always present Innumerable streams descended on the valley like wreaths of smoke, under an unenergetic moon. Slowly but surely, the sun appeared to be lowering toward the west.

 

The Lotos-eaters gathered around the ship of Ulysses as the light faded. To commemorate them, they held branches in their hands that were filled with fruits and flowers from the mystical lotteries. They were so charming and nice that they made the temptation to the sailors. Some of them, like the sailors who had tried the Lotos, became lazy and dreamy, and they fell asleep.

 

They disembarked from their ships and took a seat on the seashore’s yellow sand. The moon was rising at the moment, while the sun was setting in front of them. In their ears, the soothing murmur of the steams was like music. It gave them much delight to think of their homes, their children, and their wives, but to get up again and to labor in their ships seemed to be an unwelcomed task.

Second part of the summary

They sang of the sweet music, falling in rhythm softer than the crackle of the falling rose petals, or the night dew in silent streams. They started thinking that death is the inevitable end of life so all labor is meaningless. Fighting evil nonstop does not guarantee happiness. So, why they should be victims of hard work and bitter sorrow, where all the things in nature enjoy rest? Leaves, flowers, and fruits everything grows and decays in peace.

 

There is no excitement, no hurry up, and all is moving toward death peacefully. Man alone is toiling. They ask themselves why men’s life should be full of labor and they should not spend it peacefully and enjoy rest. So the Ulysses crew members debated.

 

Therefore, they wanted to stay on the island of Lotos-eaters. They would reflect peacefully on their deceased companions and earlier experiences. Though they loved their family very much now it was useless to return to their family. They have been out of the home for an extended period. They must have been taken for dead and their children must have taken over responsibilities at home.  So they thought it best to be left alone.

Conclusion

It would be far more pleasant to lie down on the beds of fragrant flowers on the island and hear the soft sounds of the water and waves of the ocean in the distance. They have already toiled hard enough. They would move no more. It was time to take a rest.As if they were gods in their heavenly homes, they would take a nap on the hills. After all, the gods are indifferent to man’s suffering; they take pleasure in man’s sorrows. The sailors will also rest and stop roving.

 

This is the end of our content. Thank you for reading the content. Anyway, if you want to read more summaries from Victorian Poetry, please check the following articles:

Tithonus Summary
Oenone Summary
Locksley Hall
My Last Duchess
Andrea Del Sarto
Felix Randal
The Windhover

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Saddam Hossain

Founder & Language Instructor

Apart from English language and literature skill, I’m a Digital Marketer & Content Writer at My Writing Pen, BD Business Finder, NY Bizlisting.

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