I will drink life to the less.

This line is extracted from famous Victorian poet, Tennyson's notable poem, "Ulysses" which is inspired by Homer's great epics, "Iliad" and "Odyssey".

           Ulysses is a man who does not like to lead an idle life, he always wants to travel in different countries and gather different experiences from these countries. The qoted line is stated by Ulysses. Literally 'less' means drags or sediments. Here 'less' means  the last extremes of something. The idiomatic expression 'drink to the less' means experience, the last extremes of passion, desire etc.

           Here a rhetorical metaphor is used to indicate the adventurous mentality of Ulysses. Here life is compared to wine. Ulysses is a man of activities and he believes that the glory of life lies in the very use of it. A drunkard enjoys the wine till the last drop and does not spoil it at all. Ulysses also taking life to be a cup of wine wants to make use of this properly. Because he knows very well that there is no end of learning in this life. So he says -"I can not rest from travel, I will drink / Life to the less."

        The line expresses Ulysses' robust idealism that takes life and it's problems in right earnest and that suggests Victorian Spirit. In this line the adventurous spirited ideal of life of Ulysses is subtly reflected.