"Ulysses" is a poem written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and was published in 1842 during the Victorian era. The poem is a monologue spoken by the mythological hero Ulysses (also known as Odysseus) as he reflects on his life and his desire for adventure and exploration.

As a Victorian poem, "Ulysses" reflects many of the values and attitudes of the era, such as the belief in progress, the importance of duty and responsibility, and the idea of the individual striving to achieve greatness. The poem also embodies the Victorian ideal of the heroic individual who overcomes obstacles to achieve his goals.

At the same time, "Ulysses" challenges some of the Victorian era's social and cultural norms. Ulysses rejects the idea of retiring to a life of ease and comfort, which was a common expectation for individuals of a certain age and status during the Victorian era. Instead, Ulysses expresses a desire to continue exploring and discovering new things, even in old age.

In addition, Ulysses' desire for adventure and exploration can be seen as a rejection of the narrow confines of Victorian society and its emphasis on conventionality and propriety. The poem also highlights the tension between the individual and society, as Ulysses asserts his own desires and goals in the face of societal expectations.

Ulysses expresses his desire for adventure and exploration in the following lines:

"I cannot rest from travel: I will drink

 Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd 

Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those 

That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when 

Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades 

Vext the dim sea: I am become a name"

These lines convey Ulysses' restlessness and his thirst for adventure and new experiences, which was a common desire among many Victorians. The reference to the "rainy Hyades" also suggests the idea of overcoming adversity and challenges.

Furthermore, the idea of duty and responsibility is also reflected in the poem, as Ulysses struggles with his sense of obligation to his kingdom and his desire to explore:

"How dull it is to pause, to make an end, 

To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use! 

As tho' to breathe were life. 

Life piled on life Were all too little, and of one to me

 Little remains: but every hour is saved 

From that eternal silence, something more, 

A bringer of new things"

These lines convey Ulysses' desire to continue living life to the fullest, even though he is growing old and has fulfilled his responsibilities to his kingdom. The idea of constantly striving for new experiences and pushing oneself to new limits was a common theme in Victorian literature and society.

Ulysses can be seen as a quintessentially Victorian poem, which reflects the values and concerns of the era through the character of Ulysses and his struggles with duty, responsibility, and the desire for adventure and exploration.