Heroism Heroism has been defined very differently through out history and even to this day it takes on different views. People view a heroic person as someone who is strong, brave and self-less, daring and dependable. Tennyson defines heroism in a classical context, in which Ulysses is portrayed as a man with passion for adventure and a man who wants to fight many battles and explore many seas with his mariners. Tennyson's Ulysses is an …showed first 75 words of 1372 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1372 total…was promising to Ulysses. One must say that heroism is explained differently in both poems, but what Millay's Penelope went through holds significant value, because Penelope did not ask for appraisal from others and no one wiped her tears but herself, while Ulysses was admired by all and was given attention by his mariners and the societies because of his perceived heroism while Penelope's was hid from the eyes of others and was left unnoticed.