You refer, I
take it, to the entire last stanza of the poem. In order to understand how this stanza relates
to discovery, you need to understand the context of the poem and the beliefs of the
Greeks.
Odysseus ( here) fought with Achilles (a half-god) at the siege of
Troy, and had ten years of adventures on his way home to Ithaca from the war. While his goal was
to get back home to his wife and son and kingdom in Ithaca, he enjoyed the challenges presented
to him along his journey. For example, he was warned that no man had ever heard the legendary
Sirens sing and live to tell the tale, so he commanded his men to block their ears with wax, tie
him to the mast, and row past the sirens so that he could hear. He loved his homeland, but was
addicted to adventure and discovery.
The Greeks believed that if they sailed
far enough, they could reach The Happy Isles where their friends and heroes lived in infinite
summer, their version of heaven.
In this poem, Ulysses has returned
home...
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