Philosophy of inaction in “The Lotos-Eaters”

“The Lotos-Eaters” draws inspiration from Homer’s “Odyssey.” Odysseus, one of the great warriors of the Trojan War, was returning home but had to overcome numerous obstacles. During his journey, he encountered an island where the inhabitants fed on lotus. The poem begins when Odysseus first sees the island. He tells his men to have courage and points toward the land, assuring them that the rolling waves will guide the ships to the shore.

Upon arriving at the island, the mariners were warmly greeted by the inhabitants, who graciously offered them the enticing flower and fruit of the lotos. Consuming these delicacies, the mariners found themselves in a peculiar state, hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness. Suddenly, they lost all their spirit and became inactive. They were overcome by a strong feeling of inactivity and felt like doing nothing. They could hear nothing but the music of their heartbeats around them.

Even though dreaming of their homes in Ithaca was sweet, the lotos makes them tired of wandering and chose to stay here. A mariner who tasted the lotos fruit declares that he will “return no more,” and all the mariners join in singing about their decision to remain in the land of the lotos-eaters.

Tennyson weaves an enticing and captivating tapestry, portraying a life liberated from work. In each stanza of the choric song, he articulates compelling arguments justifying the mariners’ choice to linger on the island. For instance, in the second stanza, the mariners emotionally express the irony that, despite being the best of creation, mankind alone is burdened with ceaseless toil and labor throughout life. This stanza can also be perceived as a deliberate inversion and overturning of Coleridge’s “Work without Hope,” where the speaker laments that “all nature seems at work” while he remains idle and unoccupied.

In the poem “The Lotos-Eaters,” Tennyson presents a kind of utopian idea. He portrays a world of great comfort free from worldly suffering, yet living in such a world does not bring happiness. Instead, it makes human beings inactive and hopeless. In the early stages of human civilization, people were helpless and relied on the mercy of nature. Gradually, they became the most powerful creatures, thanks to their hard work and toil. This ascent was possible due to their diligence. Hence, the saying goes, “There is no shortcut road to success.” To achieve one’s goals, one must work hard.