{"product_id":"lord-alfred-tennyson","title":"And Not to Yield","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e\"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.\"\u003c\/em\u003e - Tennyson\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom his extraordinary poem \u003cem\u003eUlysses\u003c\/em\u003e. The complete excerpt reads;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTho' much is taken, much abides; and tho' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe are not now that strength which in old days \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eMoved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne equal temper of heroic hearts, \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eMade weak by time and fate, but strong in will \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTo strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poem can be read in many ways. Thematically it's about the aging King Odysseus having a late-life crisis and embarking on one last adventure, which will incidentally lead to his death (and, if we read the poem as a prequel to Dante's Inferno, will also lead to his damnation). As poet laureate of Great Britain, it can also be read as an ode to an aging empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut Tennyson conveyed that the real impetus for the poem was the sudden and untimely death of his friend Arthur Hallam. And therefore the poem reads most powerfully as a response to mortality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow do we confront that ultimate tragedy? Tennyson says with character, companionship and courage. It's no wonder he drew inspiration from Greek myth. In a way, the poetic urge, the act of creation, the verse it generates, and the joy it brings the reader is itself a palliative. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the illustration, a lighthouse rises above a raging sea, its light forming the hub of a ship wheel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSPECIAL OFFER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAny 3 prints for $48 (regularly $72) \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCode: 3PRINTS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eSee all prints \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/obviousstate.mom\/collections\/art-prints\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• \u003cspan\u003e11x14 inch art print with white border\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Heavy, premium 270 gsm archival paper\u003cbr\u003e• Matte, slightly textured finish\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"meta\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"disclaimer\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Alfred Lord Tennyson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31439209332793,"sku":"52P-TEN","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0544\/5705\/products\/52P-TEN-pos.jpg?v=1772060273","url":"https:\/\/obviousstate.mom\/products\/lord-alfred-tennyson","provider":"Obvious State","version":"1.0","type":"link"}