Who is alfred tennyson

We hear only one voice, that of a hysterical young man who is sometimes close to madness. Tennyson described the poem as a "little Hamlet.

The hero furiously rejects the materialism and callousness of 19th-century society. He is preoccupied by thoughts of his father's suicide, and his reason is endangered when he accidentally kills the brother of Maud, the girl he loves.

The hero then exiles himself to France, and, when he learns of Maud's death, he enlists to fight in the Crimea in the hope that the violence of war will somehow redeem him. The poem is now much admired for its metrical virtuosity and for its dramatization of neurotic states of mind. Of the other poems in the volume, the best-known are "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and "The Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington, " certainly the greatest of the poems written by Tennyson in his capacity as poet laureate.

Between and Tennyson's principal concern was the composition of a series of linked narrative poems about King Arthur and the Round Table. He worked on this project for more than 20 years: one section was written as early as ; another part was not published until As definitively collected in , The Idylls of the King consists of a dedication to the Prince Consort, 12 blank-verse narratives the idylls which deal with Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guenevere, and other figures in the court, and an epilogue addressed to the Queen.

The individual narratives are linked by a common theme: the destructive effect of sexual passion on an honorable society. The Round Table is brought down in ruins by the illicit love of Lancelot and Guenevere. Some of Tennyson's contemporaries regretted that he had lavished so much attention on the legendary past; it is clear, however, that this myth of a dying society expressed some of his fears for 19th-century England. Tennyson had a long and immensely productive literary career, and a chronology shows that he did ambitious work until late in his life.

In his 60s he wrote a series of historical verse plays— Queen Mary , Harold , and Becket —on the "making of England. Tennyson's last years were crowned with many honors. In Tennyson was awarded a peerage. He died on Oct. The choir sang a musical setting for "Crossing the Bar, " the poem, written a few years earlier, which is placed at the end of all collections of his work.

In June , after an engagement of thirteen years, Tennyson and Emily were married. Later that same year Tennyson was appointed to the post of poet laureate, succeeding Wordsworth. Among the most notable poems he wrote while holding that office are the "Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington" and "The Charge of the Light Brigade" Despite his fame, Tennyson remained shy and moved from London to a more secluded home.

He worked intently on his Arthurian poems, the earliest of which had been published in the volume, and the first four idylls appeared in These rapidly became his most popular works, and he continued to revise and add to them until the Idylls of the King reached its present form in the edition of The remainder of Tennyson's life was uneventful.

He and Emily had a son, whom they named Hallam. Tennyson was hailed as the greatest of English poets and was awarded numerous honors; he received an honorary degree from Oxford University in and was offered the rectorship of Glasgow University. In , he was raised to the peerage by Queen Victoria and was thereafter known as Baron Tennyson of Aldworth. He was the first Englishman to be granted such a high rank solely for literary distinction.

All his life Tennyson continued to write poetry. He also wrote a number of historical dramas in poetic form, among which are Queen Mary , Harold , Beckett , and The Foresters Alfred, Lord Tennyson was the most highly regarded poet of his period and the most widely read of all English poets. The quality of his work varied greatly, and much that he wrote is of little interest today, for he included in his poetry themes and subjects that were of intense interest only to the Victorians.

Therefore, Tennyson only attended Louth Grammar School where he was bullied for a few years. The rest of his pre-university education was overseen by his well-read father. Tennyson and his siblings were raised with a love of books and writing; by the age of 8, Tennyson was penning his first poems.

However, Tennyson's home wasn't a happy one. His father was an elder son who had been disinherited in favor of a younger brother, which engendered resentment. Even worse, his father was an alcoholic and drug user who at times physically threatened members of the family.

In , Tennyson had his first poetry published in Poems by Two Brothers though actually three Tennyson brothers contributed to the volume. That same year, Tennyson began to study at Trinity College at Cambridge, where his two older brothers were also students. It was at university that Tennyson met Arthur Hallam, who became a close friend, and joined a group of students who called themselves the Apostles.

Tennyson also continued to write poetry, and in , he won the Chancellor's Gold Medal for the poem "Timbuctoo. Tennyson's father died in His death meant straitened circumstances for the family, and Tennyson did not complete his degree.

As a younger son, Tennyson was encouraged to find a profession, such as entering the church like his father. However, the young man was determined to focus on poetry.

At the end of though it was dated , he published another volume of poetry: Poems by Alfred Tennyson. It contained work that would become well known, such as "The Lady of Shalott," but received unfavorable reviews.

These greatly affected Tennyson, and he subsequently shied away from publication for a decade, though he continued to write during that time. After leaving Cambridge, Tennyson had remained close to Arthur Hallam, who had fallen in love with Tennyson's sister Emily. When Hallam died suddenly in , likely from a stroke, it was a devastating loss for the poet and his family.

In , with the publication of In Memoriam , Tennyson became one of Britain's most popular poets. He was selected Poet Laureate in succession to Wordsworth. In that same year, he married Emily Sellwood. They had two sons, Hallam and Lionel. At the age of 41, Tennyson had established himself as the most popular poet of the Victorian era.

The money from his poetry at times exceeding 10, pounds per year allowed him to purchase a house in the country and to write in relative seclusion. His appearance—a large and bearded man, he regularly wore a cloak and a broad brimmed hat—enhanced his notoriety. He read his poetry with a booming voice, often compared to that of Dylan Thomas.

In , Tennyson published the first poems of Idylls of the Kings , which sold more than 10, copies in one month. In , he accepted a peerage, becoming Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Tennyson died on October 6, , and was buried in Westminster Abbey. National Poetry Month. Materials for Teachers Teach This Poem. Poems for Kids. Poetry for Teens.