Explain what you think is the key line in "Ulysses" by Tennyson.

I think that the closing line is the key line in the whole
poem and critical to unlocking both its meaning and greatness.  Honestly, there are many
great lines in the poem, but the closing is amazing:

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To strive, to seek, to find, and not to
yield.

On one hand, this line
can be a testament to the greatness of the poem's subject.  Ulysses can be seen as a
permanent warrior, someone who will not be withered with time.  His desire to continue
the pursuit of his life's work is evident in these words.  Tennyson's construction of
Ulysses is one who will always live in accordance to his spirit and there is a beauty in
that.  In a world where so much is fleeting and subject to contingency, Ulysses stands
as a benchmark of this lack of change.  Even though he has safely returned home, he will
not use that as an opportunity to deny the nourishment for adventure that his soul
obviously seeks.  It is here where this line reflects much that is great about its
subject.

Simultaneously, it is here where some of the worst
elements of Ulysses are seen.  The fact that Ulysses cannot honor in action the love and
devotion of Penelope is startling.  There can be fewer visions of virtue and loyalty
than Penelope to Ulysses.  She pined and suffered for his return.  The gratitude that
she gets is a condemnation of the domestic life she leads and envisions sharing with
him, her husband.  After everything, there is a level of selfishness revealed in his
declaration of the last line.  At the same time, the last line does not speak to how
important the son's relationship to his father is.  Telemachus wept for his father, and
never wavered in his commitment to see his father return.  While political provisions
are made for Telemachus, there is little in way of an emotional farewell in the idea of 
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."  In seeing a father tell his son that
he is, for all practical purposes, an impediment to his dreams is
repugnant.

In the end, this is why this line is so
important.  It reflects so much in Ulysses' character.  At the same time, this line
helps to bring out a rather complex rendering of Ulysses, one that compels the reader to
think and reflect, creating difficulty in judgment.  This becomes the testament to the
line, the poem, and its place in literature.