The speaker 's language is unadorned but forceful , and it express Ulysses ' conflicting moods as he search for continuity between his past and future . There is often a marked contrast between the sentiment of Ulysses ' words and the sounds that express them . For example , the poem 's insistent iambic pentameter is often interrupted by spondees ( metrical feet that consist of two long syllables ) ; such laboured language slow the poem ( and in other places may cast doubt upon the reliability of Ulysses ' utterances ) :