 The speaker 's language is unadorned but forceful , and it expresses Ulysses ' conflicting moods as he searches for continuity between his past and future . There is often a marked contrast between the sentiment of Ulysses ' words and the sounds that express them . For example , the poem 's <unk> iambic <unk> is often interrupted by spondees ( <unk> feet that consist of two long syllables ) ; such <unk> language slows the poem ( and in other places may cast doubt upon the reliability of Ulysses ' utterances ) : 
