DEPARTURE: The Call to Adventure

“Ulysses“ by Alfred Lord Tennyson (begin near the end with “Come, my friends”)

The Call to Adventure

Adventure begins with a call. The phone might literally ring in the middle of the afternoon and change your life as you knew it. It might come in with a weather front. It might be perceived while sipping tea in the sunshine.

One thing is certain: The call cannot be refused. Even if you want to. Even if you ignore it, leave that text on Read, it will find you. Then the only question is how will you respond?

Ulysses

These fifteen lines are the first poetry I ever memorized, so they represent my own call to adventure. But I did not want to memorize poetry (my boss asked me to write a column about it anyway). And I did not especially like this particular poem.

There are people who thrill to adventure’s call. I am not that person. Please leave me alone and I’ll content myself with a book and some tea, thank you very much. Perhaps a little dark chocolate. But when this poetry memorization call came, I did not know that I needed exactly this type of adventure in my life. Already I was

not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven,

As the next years unfolded, that statement would only become more true. Because I put in the work to learn the poem by heart, back in the fall of 2019, it’s deep, deep inside me. Once on a difficult hike, when I got lost, Tennyson’s lines came back to me, step by step.

Tho’ much is taken, much abides;

Be a Hero

“Ulysses” jumps off from Homer’s epic The Odyssey, almost like an epilogue. Ultimately, that’s what a call is — what feels like a first word becomes the last.

It’s not too late to answer the call, friend. You may not find, but you can still adventure.

Sit with the poem this week. See if you can memorize one line.

Try to learn a little of this poem by heart.

What does it say about your hero’s journey?

If you like, email me at megan.willome@yahoo.com.

 

“Megan Willome has captured the essence of crow in this delightful children’s collection. Not only do the poems introduce the reader to the unusual habits and nature of this bird, but also different forms of poetry as well.”

—Michelle Ortega, poet and children’s speech pathologist