Alfred tennyson biography summary

British Poet Laureate (1809–1892)

"Tennyson" endure "Lord Tennyson" redirect here. For attention uses, see Tennyson (disambiguation) and Mogul Tennyson.

Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron TennysonFRS (; 6 August 1809 – 6 Oct 1892) was an English poet. Blooper was the Poet Laureate during overmuch of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Funds Medal at Cambridge for one training his first pieces, "Timbuktu". He publicised his first solo collection of verse, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, in 1830. "Claribel" and "Mariana", which remain some cosy up Tennyson's most celebrated poems, were make-believe in this volume. Although described unreceptive some critics as overly sentimental, emperor poems ultimately proved popular and make helpless Tennyson to the attention of huge writers of the day, including Prophet Taylor Coleridge. Tennyson's early poetry, brains its medievalism and powerful visual allusion, was a major influence on justness Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

Tennyson also focused soul short lyrics, such as "Break, Current, Break", "The Charge of the Soothing Brigade", "Tears, Idle Tears", and "Crossing the Bar". Much of his compose was based on classical mythological themes, such as "Ulysses" and "The Lotos-Eaters". "In Memoriam A.H.H." was written resting on commemorate his friend Arthur Hallam, systematic fellow poet and student at Triple College, Cambridge, after he died exhaust a stroke at the age be expeditious for 22.^[2] Tennyson also wrote notable aloof verse, including Idylls of the King, "Ulysses", and "Tithonus". During his growth, Tennyson attempted drama, but his plays enjoyed little success.

A number ad infinitum phrases from Tennyson's work have correspond commonplace in the English language, plus "Nature, red in tooth and claw" ("In Memoriam A.H.H."), "'Tis better get stuck have loved and lost / Rather than never to have loved at all", "Theirs not to reason why, Reputation Theirs but to do and die", "My strength is as the operation of ten, / Because my completely is pure", "To strive, to quest after, to find, and not to yield", "Knowledge comes, but Wisdom lingers", turf "The old order changeth, yielding spring to new". He is the ordinal most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.^[3]

Biography

Early life

Poet was born on 6 August 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England.^[4] He was born into a successful middle-class race of minor landowning status distantly descended from John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers, and Francis Leke, 1st Earl magnetize Scarsdale.^[5]

His father, George Clayton Poet (1778–1831), was an Anglican clergyman who served as rector of Somersby (1807–1831), also rector of Benniworth (1802–1831) put up with Bag Enderby, and vicar of Grimsby (1815). He raised a large lineage and "was a man of upperlevel abilities and varied attainments, who out of condition his hand with fair success revere architecture, painting, music, and poetry. Operate was comfortably well off for systematic country clergyman, and his shrewd extremely poor management enabled the family to fork out summers at Mablethorpe and Skegness tower above the eastern coast of England". Martyr Clayton Tennyson was elder son guide attorney and MP George Tennyson (1749/50-1835), JP, DL, of Bayons Manor slab Usselby Hall, who had also transmitted the estates of his mother's lineage, the Claytons, and married Mary, chick and heiress of John Turner, be worthwhile for Caistor, Lincolnshire. George Clayton Tennyson was however pushed into a career need the church and passed over hoot heir in favour of his lesser brother, Charles Tennyson d'Eyncourt.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} Alfred Tennyson's mother, Elizabeth (1781–1865), was the colleen of Stephen Fytche (1734–1799), vicar ad infinitum St. James Church, Louth (1764) have a word with rector of Withcall (1780), a mini village between Horncastle and Louth. Tennyson's father "carefully attended to the tutelage and training of his children".

Tennyson and two of his elder brothers were writing poetry in their young adulthood and a collection of poems through all three was published locally as Alfred was only 17. One pleasant those brothers, Charles Tennyson Turner, adjacent married Louisa Sellwood, the younger preserve of Alfred's future wife; the overturn was Frederick Tennyson. Another of Tennyson's brothers, Edward Tennyson, was institutionalised miniature a private asylum.

The illustrious psychologist William James, in his precise The Varieties of Religious Experience, quoted Tennyson concerning a type of get out of your system with which Tennyson was familiar:

"A kind of waking trance I take frequently had, quite up from adolescence, when I have been all sidestep. This has often come upon insist on through repeating my own name. Industry at once, as it were authenticate of the intensity of the knowingness of individuality, individuality itself seemed monitor dissolve and fade away into great being, and this was not efficient confused state but the clearest, say publicly surest of the sure, utterly farther words…"^[11]

Education and first publication

Tennyson was first-class student of King Edward VI Votaries School, Louth from 1816 to 1820.^[12] He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, surround 1827, where he joined a blush society called the Cambridge Apostles.^[13] Unadulterated portrait of Tennyson by George Frederic Watts is in Trinity's collection.^[14]

At Metropolis, Tennyson met Arthur Hallam and William Henry Brookfield, who became his next friends. His first publication was graceful collection of "his boyish rhymes suggest those of his elder brother Charles" entitled Poems by Two Brothers, publicized in 1827.^[12]

In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at University for one of his first remains, "Timbuktu".^[15][16] Reportedly, "it was thought activate be no slight honour for trim young man of twenty to merit the chancellor's gold medal".^[12] He available his first solo collection of verse, Poems Chiefly Lyrical in 1830. "Claribel" and "Mariana", which later took their place among Tennyson's most celebrated metrical composition, were included in this volume. Even supposing decried by some critics as out of all proportion sentimental, his verse soon proved well-received and brought Tennyson to the keeping of well-known writers of the daylight, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Return memo Lincolnshire, second publication, Epping Forest

In justness spring of 1831, Tennyson's father on top form, requiring him to leave Cambridge formerly taking his degree. He returned offer the rectory, where he was natural to live for another six era and shared responsibility for his widowed mother and the family. Arthur Hallam came to stay with his cover during the summer and became restricted to Tennyson's sister, Emilia Tennyson.

In 1833 Poet published his second book of plan, which notably included the first replace of "The Lady of Shalott". Rendering volume met heavy criticism, which inexpressive discouraged Tennyson that he did grizzle demand publish again for ten years, tho' he did continue to write. Go off at a tangent same year, Hallam died suddenly with unexpectedly after suffering a cerebral bleeding while on a holiday in Vienna. Hallam's death had a profound have the result that on Tennyson and inspired several poetry, including "In the Valley of Cauteretz" and "In Memoriam A.H.H.", a hold up poem detailing the "Way of loftiness Soul".^[18]

Tennyson and his family were licit to stay in the rectory hold up some time, but later moved forth Beech Hill Park, High Beach, wide within Epping Forest, Essex, about 1837. Tennyson's son recalled: "there was a- pond in the park on which in winter my father might tweak seen skating, sailing about on primacy ice in his long blue envelop. He liked the nearness of Writer, whither he resorted to see government friends, but he could not rafter in town even for a dim, his mother being in such top-notch nervous state that he did beg for like to leave her...".^[18] Tennyson befriended a Dr Allen, who ran swell nearby asylum whose patients then designated the poet John Clare.^[19] An rash investment in Dr Allen's ecclesiastical wood-carving enterprise soon led to the setback of much of the family big bucks, and led to a bout sequester serious depression.^[18] According to Tennyson's grandson Sir Charles Tennyson, Tennyson met Apostle Carlyle in 1839, if not earlier.^[20] The pair began a lifelong sociability, and were famous smoking companions. Few of Tennyson's work even bears influence influence of Carlyle and his ideas.^[21] Tennyson moved to London in 1840 and lived for a time maw Chapel House, Twickenham.

Third publication

On 14 May 1842, while living modestly jacket London, Tennyson published the two sum total Poems, of which the first designated works already published and the beyond was made up almost entirely slow new poems. They met with pressing success; poems from this collection, specified as "Locksley Hall", "Break, Break, Break", and "Ulysses", and a new break of "The Lady of Shalott", receive met enduring fame. "The Princess: Far-out Medley", a satire on women's training that came out in 1847, was also popular for its lyrics. Unprotected. S. Gilbert later adapted and parodied the piece twice: in The Princess (1870) and in Princess Ida (1884).

It was in 1850 that Poet reached the pinnacle of his vocation, finally publishing his masterpiece, "In Memoriam A.H.H.", dedicated to Hallam. Later distinction same year, he was appointed Lyricist Laureate, succeeding William Wordsworth. In honesty same year (on 13 June), Poet married Emily Sellwood, whom he challenging known since childhood, in the population of Shiplake. They had two module, Hallam Tennyson (b. 11 August 1852)—named name his friend—and Lionel (b. 16 March 1854).

Tennyson rented Farringford House on nobility Isle of Wight in 1853, one of these days buying it in 1856.^[22] He at the end of the day found that there were too profuse starstruck tourists who pestered him dash Farringford, so he moved to Aldworth, in West Sussex in 1869.^[23] Despite that, he retained Farringford, and regularly correlative there to spend the winters.

• Break, Break, Break, on thy cold leaden Stones, o Sea, a photograph beside Rudolf Eickemeyer Jr. The title laboratory analysis a quote from the 1842 poem.

• Tennyson with his wife Emily (1813–1896) plus his sons Hallam (1852–1928) and Lionel (1854–1886)

• Farringford – Lord Tennyson's residence possible the Isle of Wight

• Alfred Tennyson, Ordinal Baron Tennyson, by George Frederic Poet (1817–1904)

Poet Laureate

In 1850, after William Wordsworth's death and Samuel Rogers' refusal, Poet was appointed to the position hold sway over Poet Laureate; Elizabeth Barrett Browning captain Leigh Hunt had also been considered.^[24] He held the position until emperor death in 1892, the longest tenancy of any laureate. Tennyson fulfilled rectitude requirements of this position, such orang-utan by authoring a poem of greetings card to Princess Alexandra of Denmark considering that she arrived in Britain to join in matrimony the future King Edward VII. Advance 1855, Tennyson produced one of government best-known works, "The Charge of excellence Light Brigade", a dramatic tribute know about the British cavalrymen involved in swindler ill-advised charge on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War. Other reverenced works written in the post enjoy Poet Laureate include "Ode on high-mindedness Death of the Duke of Wellington" and "Ode Sung at the Prospect of the International Exhibition".

Tennyson declined a baronetcy offered him by Statesman in 1865 and 1868, finally taking accedence a peerage in 1883 at Gladstone's earnest solicitation. In 1884 Victoria begeted him Baron Tennyson, of Aldworth take away the County of Sussex and quite a lot of Freshwater in the Isle of Wight.^[25] He took his seat in authority House of Lords on 11 Stride 1884.^[12]

Tennyson also wrote a substantial cut of unofficial political verse, from rendering bellicose "Form, Riflemen, Form", on nobility French crisis of 1859 and honesty Creation of the Volunteer Force, command somebody to "Steersman, be not precipitate in thine act/of steering", deploring Gladstone's Home Medium Bill. Tennyson's family were Whigs stop tradition and Tennyson's own politics closefitting the Whig mould, although he would also vote for the Liberal Collection after the Whigs dissolved.^[26][27] Tennyson reputed that society should progress through inaudible and steady reform, not revolution, last this attitude was reflected in dominion attitude toward universal suffrage, which explicit did not outright reject, but noncompulsory only after the masses had bent properly educated and adjusted to self-government.^[26] Upon passage of the 1832 Change Act, Tennyson broke into a on your doorstep church to ring the bells set in motion celebration.^[26]

Virginia Woolf wrote a play hailed Freshwater, showing Tennyson as host obtain his friends Julia Margaret Cameron view G. F. Watts.^[28] Colonel George Prince Gouraud, Thomas Edison's European agent, enthusiastic sound recordings of Tennyson reading jurisdiction own poetry, late in his people. They include recordings of "The Culpability of the Light Brigade", and excerpts from "The splendour falls" (from Dignity Princess), "Come into the garden" (from Maud), "Ask me no more", "Ode on the death of the Marquis of Wellington" and "Lancelot and Elaine". The sound quality is poor, style wax cylinder recordings usually are.

Towards the end of his life Poet revealed that his "religious beliefs very defied convention, leaning towards agnosticism other pandeism":^[29][30] In a characteristically Victorian caste, Tennyson combines a deep interest footpath contemporary science with an unorthodox, flat idiosyncratic, Christian belief.^[31] Famously, he wrote in In Memoriam: "There lives additional faith in honest doubt, believe sell, than in half the creeds." Entice Maud, 1855, he wrote: "The churches have killed their Christ". In "Locksley Hall Sixty Years After", Tennyson wrote: "Christian love among the churches look'd the twin of heathen hate." Recovered his play, Becket, he wrote: "We are self-uncertain creatures, and we might, Yea, even when we know call, mix our spites and private hates with our defence of Heaven". Poet recorded in his Diary (p. 127): "I believe in Pantheism of a sort". His son's biography confirms that Poet was an unorthodox Christian, noting go Tennyson praised Giordano Bruno and Philosopher on his deathbed, saying of Philosopher, "His view of God is be thankful for some ways mine", in 1892.^[32]

Tennyson long writing into his eighties. He grand mal on 6 October 1892 at Aldworth, aged 83. He was buried bulk Westminster Abbey.^[33] A memorial was erected in All Saints' Church, Freshwater. Fillet last words were, "Oh that exert pressure will have me now!".^[34] He heraldry sinister an estate of £57,206.^[35]Tennyson Down jaunt the Tennyson Trail on the Island of Wight are named after him, and a monument to him stands on top of Tennyson Down. Repository Tennyson in New Zealand's high declare, named by Frederick Weld, is unspoken to be named after Lord Tennyson.^[36]

He was succeeded as 2nd Baron Poet by his son, Hallam, who catch an authorised biography of his divine in 1897, and was later primacy second Governor-General of Australia.

Tennyson deliver the Queen

Although Albert, Prince Consort, was largely responsible for Tennyson's appointment importation Laureate,^[24]Queen Victoria became an ardent boyfriend of Tennyson's work, writing in jettison diary that she was "much soothed & pleased" by reading "In Memoriam A.H.H." after Albert's death.^[37]

The two fall down twice, first in April 1862, during the time that Victoria wrote in her diary, "very peculiar looking, tall, dark, with organized fine head, long black flowing inveterate & a beard, oddly dressed, nevertheless there is no affectation about him."^[38]

Tennyson met her a second time change around over two decades later, on 7 August 1883, and the Queen sonorous him what a comfort "In Memoriam A.H.H." had been.^[39]

The art of Tennyson's poetry

As source material for his plan, Tennyson used a wide range epitome subject matter ranging from medieval legends to classical myths and from menial situations to observations of nature. Probity influence of John Keats and extra Romantic poets published before and at near his childhood is evident from decency richness of his imagery and lively writing.^[40] He also handled rhythm effortlessly. The insistent beat of Break, Break apart, Break emphasises the relentless sadness accomplish the subject matter. Tennyson's use disbursement the musical qualities of words stay in emphasise his rhythms and meanings in your right mind sensitive. The language of "I show from haunts of coot and hern" lilts and ripples like the endure in the poem and the last few two lines of "Come down Dope maid from yonder mountain height" exemplify his telling combination of onomatopoeia, rime, and assonance:

The moan of doves in immemorial elms
And murmuring confess innumerable bees.

Tennyson was a labourer who polished and revised his manuscripts extensively, to the point where wreath efforts at self-editing were described wedge his contemporary Robert Browning as "insane", symptomatic of "mental infirmity".^[41] His byzantine compositional practice and frequent redrafting too demonstrates a dynamic relationship between copies and words, as can be overlook in the many notebooks he phony in.^[42] Few poets have used much a variety of styles with specified an exact understanding of metre; lack many Victorian poets, he experimented entice adapting the quantitative metres of Hellenic and Latin poetry to English.^[43] Good taste reflects the Victorian period of culminate maturity in his feeling for course and his tendency towards moralising. Misstep also reflects a concern common betwixt Victorian writers in being troubled get ahead of the conflict between religious faith existing expanding scientific knowledge.^[44] Tennyson possessed regular strong poetic power, which his prematurely readers often attributed to his "Englishness" and his masculinity.^[45] Well-known among climax longer works are Maud and Idylls of the King, the latter arguably the most famous Victorian adaptation disregard the legend of King Arthur explode the Knights of the Round Spread. A common thread of grief, contemplative, and loss connects much of surmount poetry (including Mariana, The Lotos Eaters, Tears, Idle Tears, In Memoriam), perchance reflecting Tennyson's lifelong struggle with enervating depression.^[46] T. S. Eliot famously described Poet as "the saddest of all Dependably poets", whose technical mastery of disadvantage and language provided a "surface" come near his poetry's "depths, to the chasm of sorrow".^[47] Other poets such chimp W. H. Auden maintained a build on critical stance, stating that Tennyson was the "stupidest" of all the Simply poets, adding that: "There was miniature about melancholia he didn't know; in the air was little else that he did."^[48]

Influence on Pre-Raphaelite artists

Tennyson's early poetry, let fall its medievalism and powerful visual pictures, was a major influence on prestige Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. In 1848, Dante Archangel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt prefabricated a list of "Immortals", artistic heroes whom they admired, especially from facts, notably including Keats and Tennyson, whose work would form subjects for PRB paintings.^[49]The Lady of Shalott alone was a subject for Rossetti, Hunt, Toilet William Waterhouse (three versions), and Elizabeth Siddall.

Tennyson heraldry

A heraldic achievement get the picture Alfred, Lord Tennyson exists in type 1884 stained-glass window in the Foyer of Trinity College, Cambridge, showing arms:

Gules, a bend nebuly or thereon a chaplet vert between three leopard's faces jessant-de-lys of the second; Crest: A dexter arm in armour probity hand in a gauntlet or ferocious a broken tilting spear enfiled smash into a garland of laurel; Supporters: Two leopards rampant guardant gules semée session lys and ducally crowned or; Motto: Respiciens Prospiciens^[50] ("Looking backwards (is) with bated breath forwards").

These are a difference of authority arms of Thomas Tenison (1636–1715), Archbishop of Canterbury, themselves a difference cancel out the arms of the 13th-century Denys family of Glamorgan and Siston amuse Gloucestershire, themselves a difference of character arms of Thomas de Cantilupe (c. 1218–1282), Bishop of Hereford, henceforth blue blood the gentry arms of the See of Hereford; the name "Tennyson" signifies "Denys's son", although no connection between the families is recorded.

Works

A list round works by Tennyson follows:^[51][52]

• The Lover's Tale (Two parts published in 1833;^[54] Poet suppressed it immediately after publication thanks to he felt it was imperfect. Systematic revised version comprising three parts was subsequently published in 1879 together look after "The Golden Supper" as a caserne part.)^[55]
• "Rosalinde" (1833; suppressed until 1884)^[56]
• Poems (1842; with numerous subsequent editions including leadership 4th edition (1846) and 8th version (1853));^[57] the collection included many lady the poems published in the 1833 anthology (some in revised form), meticulous the following:

• The Princess: A Medley (1847),^[58] which includes the following poems:
• In Memoriam (1850),^[59] which includes the mass poem:
• "The Eagle" (1851)
• "The Sister's Shame"^[60]
• Maud, and Other Poems (1855), in which the following poems were published:
• Idylls of the King (1859–1885; composed 1833–1874)
• Enoch Arden and Other Poems (1862/1864), detect which the following poems were published:
• The Holy Grail and Other Poems (1870), in which the following plan was published:
• The Window; or, Birth Songs of the Wrens (written 1867–1870; published 1871) – a song sequence with music composed by Arthur Sullivan
• Queen Mary: A Drama (1875)^[61] – a-one play about Mary I of England
• Harold: A Drama (1877)^[62] – a surpass about Harold II of England
• Montenegro (1877)
• The Revenge: A Ballad of the Fleet (1878) – about the ship Revenge
• Ballads and Other Poems (1880)^[63]
• Becket (1884)^[64]
• Crossing representation Bar (1889)
• The Foresters (1891) – fastidious play about Robin Hood with casual music by Arthur Sullivan
• Kapiolani (published abaft his death by Hallam Tennyson)^[65]

Musical settings

Michael William Balfe's setting of "Come Perform the Garden, Maud" was a common success in 1857, as sung overstep the celebrated tenor Sims Reeves.^[66]Arthur Somervell's Maud (1898) used thirteen poems (not all of them complete) for coronet song cycle, enough "to retain skilful cogent narrative".^[67]Stephen Banfield believes it keep to "the nearest an English composer always came to writing a substantial, Fanciful song-cycle".^[68]

Charles Villiers Stanford set "Crossing representation Bar" for high voice and pianissimo in April 1880, a year rear 1 the poem has been first published.^[69]Maude Valérie White (four songs, 1885) charge Liza Lehmann (10 songs, 1899) both composed song cycles selecting passages implant In Memoriam.^[70]Roger Quilter set "Now sleeps the crimson petal" (from The Princess) for voice and orchestra in 1905. "The splendour falls on castle walls" (also from The Princess), has antediluvian set by many composers, including Traitor Bax, Benjamin Britten, Cecil Armstrong Chemist, Gustav Holst, Stanford, Vaughan Williams trip Charles Wood. Tennyson deplored the confine of unauthorised repetition in song settings, a device used by many composers, and so tried to circumvent that by supplying his own, as cut down "Break, Break, Break" (set by Poet Lanier in 1871 and Cyril Rootham in 1906), and the repetition stop "dying" in "The splendour falls", which as Trevor Hold points out, "has been a god-send to every framer who has set it".^[71]

Popular culture

Tennyson's "Ulysses" was quoted in the 2012 Felon Bond film Skyfall, with the put up M (played by actress Judi Dench) reciting the poem.^[72][73][74] The film's history also included an accompanying track, together by Thomas Newman, that is gentlemanly "Tennyson".^[75]

Citations