Alfred Lord Tennyson

Tennyson - Timeline Born at Somersby rectory, Lincolnshire, fourth son of the rector Poems by Two Brothers with Charles and Edward. -- Enters Trinity College, Cambridge Friendship with Arthur Henry Hallam. -- Member of the "Apostles," a group of young men, at Cambridge. -- Receives chancellor's Gold Medal for prize poem "Timbuctoo" Poems Chiefly Lyrical published Father dies. -- Hallam reviews of Poems Chiefly Lyrical Poems published. -- His brother Edward goes insane Hallam dies Engaged to Emily Sellwood Engagement broken off. -- Family moves to Tunbridge Wells Poems revised; his fame established Entire fortune, 3500 pounds, lost on a project to make wood carvings by steam, and his brothers and sisters lose an additional 8,000 pounds Has an emotional breakdown Receives Civil List pension of 200 pounds/year "The Princess" published Renews correspondence with Emily Sellwood In Memoriam published anonymously. -- Marries Emily Sellwood. -- Appointed Poet Laureate Son Hallam born Moves to Farringford, Isle of Wight Son Lionel born Maud ; a Monodrama published Idylls of the King published New edition of Idylls dedicated to the memory of Prince Albert. -- Has first audience with Queen Victoria The Holy Grail and Other Poems published Verse novelettes Gareth and Lynette published Queen Mary, a play, published Ballads and Other Poems published The Cup produced, starring Henry Irving and Ellen Terry Accepts barony Tiresias and Other Poems published Locksley Hall Sixty Years After published. -- Son Lionel dies Dies.

Brief Biography  Alfred Tennyson was born August 6th, 1809, at Somersby, Lincolnshire: Parents: George and Elizabeth (Fytche) Tennyson.  fourth of twelve children  Grandfather made his younger uncle heir and skipped over Tennyson’s father Wanted George to enter ministry Not impoverished, but the sight of his uncle living in a castle made Alfred worry about money all his life  Lifelong fear of mental illness several men in his family had a mild form of epilepsy  thought a shameful disease. His father and brother Arthur made their cases worse by excessive drinking  Father became paranoid and abusive and violent in the late 1820s brother Edward had to be confined in a mental institution after 1833  1827 Tennyson he followed his two older brothers to Trinity College, Cambridge  The Apostles an undergraduate club remainedTennyson's friends all his life met to discuss major philosophical and other issues

Bio - Hallam  Arthur Hallam most important of these friendships.  knew each other only four years  intense friendship had major influence on the poet Hallam met and later became engaged to Emily Tennyson  the two friends looked forward to a life-long companionship  1833 Hallam's death from illness at 22 shocked Tennyson profoundly  grief lead to most of his best poetry:  In Memorium  “Passing of Arthur”  “Ulysses”  “Tithonus

Bio - Conclusion  Late 1830s: Mental Health worries: visited a sanitarium 1844 as an emotional breakdown.  1842 Poems a success Made him popular 1845 Gained a Civil List (government) pension of £200 a year  1850: Married Emily Sellwood made Poet Laureate  Declined it several times until the Queen herself begged him to accept  Made his the most popular poet of the Victorian era.  Even Prince Albert (a big fan) would sometimes drop by unannounced  Long-lived like most of his family (no matter how unhealthy they seemed Tennyson died on October 6, 1892, at the age of 83.

Themes  Having faith and Keeping faith Faith and loyalty are essential Keeping them is hard  tenuous  Subjective  irrational  men and their societies must be founded on many faiths: between ruler and ruled man and woman to each other worshipper and God In and to one’s self

Themes  Tennyson is sceptical about man's capacity to have and keep faith: the destruction of an ideal when men do not keep faith:  "The Passing of Arthur,“ makes it quite clear how the Round Table failed offers some cause for hope:  presents the trials, triumphs, and conversion of the ordinary man:  Sir Bedivere.

Themes  The problem of Science:  In this matter, Tennyson is a typical Victorian: deep interest in contemporary science vs. an unorthodox, often contradictory, Christian belief.  Tennysonian ideas of evolution: Ie: passage from “Idylls…”: The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfills Himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world,

Themes  A nearly self-conscious sense of public responsibility: Example : “Charge of the Light Brigade”  "an eagerness [on the part of British public opinion] to find heroes in a wasteful war.  a victory for courage rather than a defeat through stupidity and blunder Tennyson’s account:  "was written after reading the first report of the Times correspondent... my poem is dactylic, and founded on the phrase, 'Some one had blundered.' " (Poems, II, 369).  Tennyson made it quite clear that the charge was the result of someone's foolish mistake, Public nonetheless took it as a great piece of poetic glorification

Did You Know?  Tennyson was extremely near- sighted  He had trouble even seeing to eat without the aid of a monocle  Would compose most of his work in his head  Would only write them down at the urging of others