Alfred Lord Tennyson

1809-1892

1909-1892
 Background
 Born August 6, 1809. at Somersby,
Lincolnshire, UK.
 He died on October 6, 1892
 Background

Severalmen in his family

had mental and physical
problems: epilepsy, insanity,
excessive drinking
Tennyson’s father was
abusive and violent
 Cambridge
 Tennyson
attended Trinity
College,
Cambridge
 Invited to join The
Apostles, an
undergraduate
club.
 This group
included his
lifelong friends.
 APOSTLES CLUB
 The society is essentially
a discussion group.
Meetings are held once a
week, traditionally on
Saturday evenings,
during which one
member gives a
prepared talk on a topic,
which is later thrown
open for discussion.
 FRIENDSHIP
 Most important friendship
was with Arthur Hallam.
He and Tennyson knew
each other for only four
years, but their intense
friendship had a major
influence on the poet.

 Hallam’s death in 1833

when he was only 22 lead
to his best poetry,
including In Memoriam.
 1830 and 1832 Poems
 In 1830, Tennyson
published Poems,
Chiefly Lyrical
(emotional and
rhythmic)
 Poems (1832 and
1833) were attacked
by critics as
obscure (not clear)
and affected
(designed to
impress).
 1830 and 1832 Poems
Criticism
kept
Tennyson
from
publishing
again for
another nine
years.
 1842 Poems
 Established
Tennyson’s
career as a writer
 This volume
includes “The
Lady of Shalott,”
“The Lotus
Eaters,” and
“Ulysses.”
 In Memoriam

 Tennyson’s
greatest poem
 Published in 1850

 Represents his struggle

with Hallam’s death and
with the new developments
in astronomy, biology, and
geology that were
diminishing man’s stature
in the universe.
 In Memoriam
After publication of
this poem, Tennyson
was named Poet
Laureate.
 POET LAUREATE
 A poet laureate is a
poet officially
appointed by a
government or
conferring
institution, who is
often expected to
compose poems for
special events and
occasions.
 Tennyson’s Later Poetry
 Tennyson’s
later poetry
follows a
narrative style
 Several
poems dealt
with national
affairs
 Tennyson’s Later Poetry
 By this time,
Tennyson was
established as the
most popular poet
of the Victorian
period. The money
from his poetry
allowed him to
purchase a house in
the country and
write in seclusion.
 His appearance
enhanced his
notoriety.
 Tennyson’s Reputation
 Tennyson was the most popular poet in
England in his own days
 He was the target of mockery by his
immediate successors, the Edwardians
and Georgians.
 Today, many critics consider Tennyson
to be the greatest poet of the Victorian
Age.
Images of Tennyson