Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809 - 1892

Beginnings Born in 1809 Wanted to be a poet since a young boy Father was a clergyman and supported his poetry Attended Cambridge University and was very successful, but only for a short time When he was 22, his father died and left him with no funds to continue college

Period of Silence That same year he publishes his first book of poems, but critics mock him for being too “melancholy” Next year his best friend dies He becomes engaged two years later but can’t marry because he has no money (marriage postponed for 14 years) 10 year period of silence

Finally…Success! At age 40, he finally finds success He publishes a book of poems, Memoriam, an elegy to his friend who died, about his own recovery of faith in the immortality of the soul and the harmony of creation – despite the unsettling discoveries of science Sells like crazy!

Finally…Success! He is named Poet Laureate of England (After Wordsworth) Government pays him to write poems Finally is able to get married! In the next 40 years he sells dozens of volumes of poetry Makes him rich

Melancholy Tones He keeps the same sad, melancholy tones throughout all his writing Uses beautiful language and writes about the fragility and sadness of life He assured readers that “his own experience of sadness and disorder had taught him that everything was part of a benevolent plan in which all losses would be made good.”