 Until the early twentieth century , readers reacted to " Ulysses " sympathetically . The meaning of the poem was increasingly debated as Tennyson 's stature rose . After Paull F. Baum criticized Ulysses ' inconsistencies and Tennyson 's conception of the poem in 1948 , the ironic interpretation became dominant . Baum finds in Ulysses echoes of Lord Byron 's flawed heroes , who similarly display conflicting emotions , self @-@ critical introspection , and a rejection of social responsibility . Even Ulysses ' resolute final utterance — " To strive , to seek , to find , and not to yield " — is undercut by irony , when Baum and later critics compare this line to Satan 's " courage never to submit or yield " in John Milton 's Paradise Lost ( 1667 ) . 
 Until the early twentieth century , readers reacted to " Ulysses " sympathetically . The meaning of the poem was increasingly debated as Tennyson <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>stature rose . After Paull F. Baum criticized Ulysses <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'</mark></a>inconsistencies and Tennyson <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>conception of the poem in 1948 , the ironic interpretation became dominant . Baum <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>finds</mark></a> in Ulysses echoes of Lord Byron <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>flawed heroes , <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>who</mark></a>similarly display conflicting emotions , self @-@ critical introspection , and a rejection of social responsibility . Even Ulysses <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'</mark></a>resolute final utterance — " To strive , to seek , to find , and not to yield " — is undercut by irony , when Baum and later critics compare this line to Satan <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>" courage never to submit or yield " in John Milton <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>Paradise Lost ( 1667 ) . 
Until the early twentieth century , readers reacted to " Ulysses " sympathetically . The meaning of the poem was increasingly debated as Tennyson  stature rose . After Paull fuc. Baum criticized Ulysses  inconsistencies and Tennyson  conception of da poem in 1948 , tdaironic interpretation became dominant . Baum find in Ulysses echoes of Lord Byron  flawed heroes , similarly display conflicting emotions , self @-@ critical introspection , and a rejection of social responsibility . Even Ulysses  resolute final utterance — " To strive , to seek , to find , and not to yield " — is undercut by irony , when Baum and later critics compare this line to Satan  " courage never to submit or yield " in John Milton  Paradise Lost ( 1667 ) .