The Lotos-Eaters : Summary

Summary

Alfred Lord Tennyson in his poem “The Lotos Eaters” mentioned Homer’s epic Odyssey influenced by Greek mythology. At the end of the Trojan War, the Greek army hero Ulysses faced various obstacles with his ships and sailors while returning home with his companions. They are stuck on different islands at different times. The sailors seem to be exhausted from crossing the boundless seas and spending their years like this. Their minds are yearning to return home but they are not returning home easily as their ship is getting stuck again and again in the face of various obstacles. This poem expresses the desire of the despondent sailors.

In this poem, Tennyson gives a wonderful example of Ulysses’ companions shaking off the heartache, despair, and finally the thought of returning home. The poem begins with an allusion to Ulysses. Ulysses is signaling to his companions that they will soon reach an island. Finally, they reached the island just before dusk. That island is like a magic lamp. It is an island inhabited by sad and gentle-eyed lotus-eaters. It was afternoon when Ulysses entered the island with his music. The sun is sinking into the ocean in the western sky. A sunny state. The sun is bent over the edge of the sea. The whole island seems shrouded in fog. Where only peace and tranquillity prevail. The tireless moon prevails in the eastern sky. Numerous streams wash down the valley and the rosy sunset makes the island even more beautiful.

There the flowing river merges with the sea. The mountain tops are covered with snow. There they meet the people of that lotus-eater. They came to them with lotus fruits. Whoever eats that fruit falls into a deep trance. Everything seems like a dream. Can’t hear the person next to you properly. Their eyes are getting sleepy. It is as if they are gripped by fatigue. And whoever eats that fruit is going out through his mouth and will not return home, will not return home, will remain here.

They have given up hope of returning to their homes and are instilling courage among themselves. They gave up. They want safe shelter, safe sleep and immense peace. They realize that everything is running out too fast but see no way back. So they comfort themselves and tell themselves that there is no point in just lamenting unnecessarily. Better to stay on this lonely island in this boundless sea. They will pass the time by seeing the starry sky, the sound of the water, and the turbulent waves.

This time they started thinking that time had passed. They have been out for a long time, apart from their wives and children. Now if they go back to their wives and children they may not recognize them. Suspect them to be ghosts. And then they will become the cause of spoiling the family peace of their wives and children. Because of this, they think that the broken relationship should stay as it is. They will not give them more trouble. Or else they will eat lotuses on this boundless sea island and eat the beauty of nature forever. 

They have seen the destruction, they have seen the brutal carnage of war, they have seen the cruelty, they have seen the flood of blood on the battlefield, they have seen the screams of helpless women, they have seen the roar of the sea that destroys everything in an instant. Their minds want peace, their minds want solitude. They don’t want to go back to the sea. They want to stay on this island as long as they live, want to wander around the crop field, and want to merge with nature. And they want to involve themselves in hard work. Their home is like past history to them. They may never return there.

In this poem, the poet basically shows the helplessness of a group of sailors who returned from the War of Troy because they could not return home. In this busy world, people have to spend a lot of time in their lives for the sake of their work. While spending this time, people face many dangers, many joys, many surprises, and many disappointments. After all this, people’s minds want some rest. Where there will be no obstacles, where there will be no obstacles, where there will be no destruction, there will be only peace and tranquillity. The poet basically expresses the desire of those sailors in this poem.

Moral lessons

•  Philosophy of inaction and escapism
• Destruction of war
• Significance of familial life