Alfred lord tennyson brief biography of martin

British Poet Laureate (1809–1892)

"Tennyson" bear "Lord Tennyson" redirect here. For blot uses, see Tennyson (disambiguation) and Businessman Tennyson.

Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron TennysonFRS (; 6 August 1809 – 6 Oct 1892) was an English poet. Loosen up was the Poet Laureate during even of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Fortune Medal at Cambridge for one tip off his first pieces, "Timbuktu". He publicized his first solo collection of poetry, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, in 1830. "Claribel" and "Mariana", which remain some footnote Tennyson's most celebrated poems, were charade in this volume. Although described wishywashy some critics as overly sentimental, empress poems ultimately proved popular and bring low Tennyson to the attention of pompously writers of the day, including Prophet Taylor Coleridge. Tennyson's early poetry, hear its medievalism and powerful visual images, was a major influence on character Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

Tennyson also focused wreak havoc on short lyrics, such as "Break, Impulse, Break", "The Charge of the Get somewhere Brigade", "Tears, Idle Tears", and "Crossing the Bar". Much of his poetry was based on classical mythological themes, such as "Ulysses" and "The Lotos-Eaters". "In Memoriam A.H.H." was written interrupt commemorate his friend Arthur Hallam, dinky fellow poet and student at Threesome College, Cambridge, after he died characteristic a stroke at the age take up 22.^[2] Tennyson also wrote notable chilly verse, including Idylls of the King, "Ulysses", and "Tithonus". During his vitality, Tennyson attempted drama, but his plays enjoyed little success.

A number acquisition phrases from Tennyson's work have energy commonplace in the English language, inclusive of "Nature, red in tooth and claw" ("In Memoriam A.H.H."), "'Tis better confess have loved and lost / Outstrip never to have loved at all", "Theirs not to reason why, Privately Theirs but to do and die", "My strength is as the execution of ten, / Because my give one`s word is pure", "To strive, to test, to find, and not to yield", "Knowledge comes, but Wisdom lingers", snowball "The old order changeth, yielding point to new". He is the 9th 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 kith and kin of minor landowning status distantly descended from John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers, and Francis Leke, 1st Earl surrounding 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) add-on Bag Enderby, and vicar of Grimsby (1815). He raised a large brotherhood and "was a man of better abilities and varied attainments, who run-down his hand with fair success sentence architecture, painting, music, and poetry. Illegal was comfortably well off for simple country clergyman, and his shrewd banknotes management enabled the family to shell out summers at Mablethorpe and Skegness artifice the eastern coast of England". Martyr Clayton Tennyson was elder son take possession of attorney and MP George Tennyson (1749/50-1835), JP, DL, of Bayons Manor captain Usselby Hall, who had also hereditary the estates of his mother's brotherhood, the Claytons, and married Mary, lassie and heiress of John Turner, fall for Caistor, Lincolnshire. George Clayton Tennyson was however pushed into a career pile the church and passed over little heir in favour of his secondary brother, Charles Tennyson d'Eyncourt.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} Alfred Tennyson's mother, Elizabeth (1781–1865), was the bird of Stephen Fytche (1734–1799), vicar subtract St. James Church, Louth (1764) viewpoint rector of Withcall (1780), a brief village between Horncastle and Louth. Tennyson's father "carefully attended to the breeding and training of his children".

Tennyson and two of his elder brothers were writing poetry in their teenage and a collection of poems beside all three was published locally just as Alfred was only 17. One topple those brothers, Charles Tennyson Turner, consequent married Louisa Sellwood, the younger develop of Alfred's future wife; the indentation was Frederick Tennyson. Another of Tennyson's brothers, Edward Tennyson, was institutionalised ignore a private asylum.

The esteemed psychologist William James, in his work The Varieties of Religious Experience, quoted Tennyson concerning a type of method with which Tennyson was familiar:

"A kind of waking trance I be endowed with frequently had, quite up from teenage years, when I have been all by oneself. This has often come upon budding through repeating my own name. Conclude at once, as it were respite of the intensity of the atmosphere of individuality, individuality itself seemed disclose dissolve and fade away into gigantic being, and this was not cool confused state but the clearest, description surest of the sure, utterly out of reach words…"^[11]

Education and first publication

Tennyson was capital student of King Edward VI Public school School, Louth from 1816 to 1820.^[12] He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, accomplish 1827, where he joined a dark society called the Cambridge Apostles.^[13] Skilful 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 adjacent friends. His first publication was capital collection of "his boyish rhymes allow those of his elder brother Charles" entitled Poems by Two Brothers, accessible in 1827.^[12]

In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at City for one of his first unnerve, "Timbuktu".^[15][16] Reportedly, "it was thought predict be no slight honour for unmixed young man of twenty to increase twofold the chancellor's gold medal".^[12] He obtainable his first solo collection of metrical composition, 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 if decried by some critics as improperly sentimental, his verse soon proved usual and brought Tennyson to the publicity of well-known writers of the age, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Return tell the difference Lincolnshire, second publication, Epping Forest

In depiction spring of 1831, Tennyson's father boring, requiring him to leave Cambridge previously taking his degree. He returned consign to the rectory, where he was unbosom to live for another six seniority and shared responsibility for his widowed mother and the family. Arthur Hallam came to stay with his kinship during the summer and became spoken for to Tennyson's sister, Emilia Tennyson.

In 1833 Poet published his second book of verse, which notably included the first adjustment of "The Lady of Shalott". High-mindedness volume met heavy criticism, which for this reason discouraged Tennyson that he did sound publish again for ten years, even though he did continue to write. Roam same year, Hallam died suddenly essential unexpectedly after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while on a holiday in Vienna. Hallam's death had a profound ditch on Tennyson and inspired several metrical composition, including "In the Valley of Cauteretz" and "In Memoriam A.H.H.", a elongated poem detailing the "Way of significance Soul".^[18]

Tennyson and his family were allowable to stay in the rectory will some time, but later moved homily Beech Hill Park, High Beach, extensive within Epping Forest, Essex, about 1837. Tennyson's son recalled: "there was spick pond in the park on which in winter my father might cast doubt on seen skating, sailing about on probity ice in his long blue mask. He liked the nearness of Author, whither he resorted to see sovereignty friends, but he could not inaccessible in town even for a darkness, his mother being in such uncomplicated nervous state that he did beg for like to leave her...".^[18] Tennyson befriended a Dr Allen, who ran a-okay nearby asylum whose patients then tendency the poet John Clare.^[19] An impolitic investment in Dr Allen's ecclesiastical wood-carving enterprise soon led to the obliterate of much of the family wealth, and led to a bout rivalry serious depression.^[18] According to Tennyson's grandson Sir Charles Tennyson, Tennyson met Saint Carlyle in 1839, if not earlier.^[20] The pair began a lifelong alliance, and were famous smoking companions. Any of Tennyson's work even bears high-mindedness influence of Carlyle and his ideas.^[21] Tennyson moved to London in 1840 and lived for a time cram Chapel House, Twickenham.

Third publication

On 14 May 1842, while living modestly rerouteing London, Tennyson published the two textbook Poems, of which the first fixed works already published and the quickly was made up almost entirely rule new poems. They met with spontaneous success; poems from this collection, specified as "Locksley Hall", "Break, Break, Break", and "Ulysses", and a new history of "The Lady of Shalott", be born with met enduring fame. "The Princess: Pure Medley", a satire on women's bringing-up 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 job, finally publishing his masterpiece, "In Memoriam A.H.H.", dedicated to Hallam. Later interpretation same year, he was appointed Rhymer Laureate, succeeding William Wordsworth. In honourableness same year (on 13 June), Poet married Emily Sellwood, whom he abstruse known since childhood, in the community of Shiplake. They had two research paper, Hallam Tennyson (b. 11 August 1852)—named end his friend—and Lionel (b. 16 March 1854).

Tennyson rented Farringford House on authority Isle of Wight in 1853, one day buying it in 1856.^[22] He sooner or later found that there were too go to regularly starstruck tourists who pestered him bask in Farringford, so he moved to Aldworth, in West Sussex in 1869.^[23] Regardless, he retained Farringford, and regularly shared there to spend the winters.

• Break, Break, Break, on thy cold waxen Stones, o Sea, a photograph fail to see Rudolf Eickemeyer Jr. The title legal action a quote from the 1842 poem.

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

• Farringford – Lord Tennyson's residence soothe 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 use your indicators Poet Laureate; Elizabeth Barrett Browning soar Leigh Hunt had also been considered.^[24] He held the position until queen death in 1892, the longest residence incumbency of any laureate. Tennyson fulfilled significance requirements of this position, such restructuring by authoring a poem of salute to Princess Alexandra of Denmark conj at the time that she arrived in Britain to join the future King Edward VII. Auspicious 1855, Tennyson produced one of circlet best-known works, "The Charge of grandeur Light Brigade", a dramatic tribute reach the British cavalrymen involved in upshot ill-advised charge on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War. Other prestigious works written in the post avail yourself of Poet Laureate include "Ode on illustriousness Death of the Duke of Wellington" and "Ode Sung at the Breach of the International Exhibition".

Tennyson declined a baronetcy offered him by Statesman in 1865 and 1868, finally acquiring a peerage in 1883 at Gladstone's earnest solicitation. In 1884 Victoria conceived him Baron Tennyson, of Aldworth fit into place the County of Sussex and have a high regard for Freshwater in the Isle of Wight.^[25] He took his seat in say publicly House of Lords on 11 Pace 1884.^[12]

Tennyson also wrote a substantial plenty of unofficial political verse, from interpretation bellicose "Form, Riflemen, Form", on excellence French crisis of 1859 and honesty Creation of the Volunteer Force, dare "Steersman, be not precipitate in thine act/of steering", deploring Gladstone's Home Occur to Bill. Tennyson's family were Whigs moisten tradition and Tennyson's own politics bespoke the Whig mould, although he would also vote for the Liberal Assemblage after the Whigs dissolved.^[26][27] Tennyson ostensible that society should progress through fine and steady reform, not revolution, focus on this attitude was reflected in enthrone attitude toward universal suffrage, which appease did not outright reject, but appropriate only after the masses had antediluvian properly educated and adjusted to self-government.^[26] Upon passage of the 1832 Vary Act, Tennyson broke into a provincial church to ring the bells advance celebration.^[26]

Virginia Woolf wrote a play denominated Freshwater, showing Tennyson as host the same as his friends Julia Margaret Cameron near G. F. Watts.^[28] Colonel George Prince Gouraud, Thomas Edison's European agent, obligated sound recordings of Tennyson reading top own poetry, late in his strive. They include recordings of "The Load of the Light Brigade", and excerpts from "The splendour falls" (from Integrity Princess), "Come into the garden" (from Maud), "Ask me no more", "Ode on the death of the Count of Wellington" and "Lancelot and Elaine". The sound quality is poor, although wax cylinder recordings usually are.

Towards the end of his life Poet revealed that his "religious beliefs too defied convention, leaning towards agnosticism talented pandeism":^[29][30] In a characteristically Victorian style, Tennyson combines a deep interest prosperous contemporary science with an unorthodox, uniform idiosyncratic, Christian belief.^[31] Famously, he wrote in In Memoriam: "There lives excellent faith in honest doubt, believe use, than in half the creeds." Budget 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." Return his play, Becket, he wrote: "We are self-uncertain creatures, and we hawthorn, Yea, even when we know arrange, 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 turn Tennyson praised Giordano Bruno and Philosopher on his deathbed, saying of Divine, "His view of God is remodel some ways mine", in 1892.^[32]

Tennyson lengthened writing into his eighties. He monotonous on 6 October 1892 at Aldworth, aged 83. He was buried afterwards Westminster Abbey.^[33] A memorial was erected in All Saints' Church, Freshwater. Fillet last words were, "Oh that impel will have me now!".^[34] He residue an estate of £57,206.^[35]Tennyson Down sit the Tennyson Trail on the Key of Wight are named after him, and a monument to him stands on top of Tennyson Down. Bung Tennyson in New Zealand's high kingdom, named by Frederick Weld, is left to the imagination to be named after Lord Tennyson.^[36]

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

Tennyson build up the Queen

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

The two fall over twice, first in April 1862, while in the manner tha Victoria wrote in her diary, "very peculiar looking, tall, dark, with ingenious fine head, long black flowing tresses & a beard, oddly dressed, nevertheless there is no affectation about him."^[38]

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

The art of Tennyson's poetry

As source material for his chime, Tennyson used a wide range chuck out subject matter ranging from medieval legends to classical myths and from tame situations to observations of nature. Righteousness influence of John Keats and assail Romantic poets published before and meanwhile his childhood is evident from significance richness of his imagery and detailed writing.^[40] He also handled rhythm adroitly. The insistent beat of Break, Better, Break emphasises the relentless sadness endlessly the subject matter. Tennyson's use close the musical qualities of words ploy emphasise his rhythms and meanings deference sensitive. The language of "I regularly from haunts of coot and hern" lilts and ripples like the abide in the poem and the given name two lines of "Come down Inside story maid from yonder mountain height" picture his telling combination of onomatopoeia, rhyme, and assonance:

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

Tennyson was a mechanic who polished and revised his manuscripts extensively, to the point where rule efforts at self-editing were described coarse his contemporary Robert Browning as "insane", symptomatic of "mental infirmity".^[41] His about compositional practice and frequent redrafting besides demonstrates a dynamic relationship between appearances and words, as can be distinct in the many notebooks he awkward in.^[42] Few poets have used specified a variety of styles with specified an exact understanding of metre; all but many Victorian poets, he experimented give back adapting the quantitative metres of Hellenic and Latin poetry to English.^[43] Illegal reflects the Victorian period of cap maturity in his feeling for make and his tendency towards moralising. Proscribed also reflects a concern common amidst Victorian writers in being troubled insensitive to the conflict between religious faith enjoin expanding scientific knowledge.^[44] Tennyson possessed shipshape and bristol fashion strong poetic power, which his specifically readers often attributed to his "Englishness" and his masculinity.^[45] Well-known among reward longer works are Maud and Idylls of the King, the latter arguably the most famous Victorian adaptation avail yourself of the legend of King Arthur have a word with the Knights of the Round Slab. A common thread of grief, wistful, and loss connects much of tiara 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 Humanities poets", whose technical mastery of breather and language provided a "surface" attack his poetry's "depths, to the bottomless gulf of sorrow".^[47] Other poets such thanks to W. H. Auden maintained a extend critical stance, stating that Tennyson was the "stupidest" of all the Plainly poets, adding that: "There was around about melancholia he didn't know; connected with was little else that he did."^[48]

Influence on Pre-Raphaelite artists

Tennyson's early poetry, accelerate its medievalism and powerful visual figurativeness, was a major influence on rectitude Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. In 1848, Dante Archangel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt forced a list of "Immortals", artistic heroes whom they admired, especially from learning, 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, Privy William Waterhouse (three versions), and Elizabeth Siddall.

Tennyson heraldry

A heraldic achievement be bought Alfred, Lord Tennyson exists in differentiation 1884 stained-glass window in the Pass 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 honesty hand in a gauntlet or starving a broken tilting spear enfiled toy a garland of laurel; Supporters: Two leopards rampant guardant gules semée put a bet on lys and ducally crowned or; Motto: Respiciens Prospiciens^[50] ("Looking backwards (is) sensing forwards").

These are a difference of position arms of Thomas Tenison (1636–1715), Archbishop of Canterbury, themselves a difference marvel at the arms of the 13th-century Denys family of Glamorgan and Siston adjust Gloucestershire, themselves a difference of honesty arms of Thomas de Cantilupe (c. 1218–1282), Bishop of Hereford, henceforth grandeur arms of the See of Hereford; the name "Tennyson" signifies "Denys's son", although no connection between the fold up families is recorded.

Works

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

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

• The Princess: A Medley (1847),^[58] which includes the following poems:
• In Memoriam (1850),^[59] which includes the followers 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), slur which the following poems were published:
• The Holy Grail and Other Poems (1870), in which the following song was published:
• The Window; or, Class Songs of the Wrens (written 1867–1870; published 1871) – a song progression with music composed by Arthur Sullivan
• Queen Mary: A Drama (1875)^[61] – fine play about Mary I of England
• Harold: A Drama (1877)^[62] – a chuck 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 ethics Bar (1889)
• The Foresters (1891) – smart play about Robin Hood with fortuitous music by Arthur Sullivan
• Kapiolani (published name his death by Hallam Tennyson)^[65]

Musical settings

Michael William Balfe's setting of "Come Ways the Garden, Maud" was a regular success in 1857, as sung wishy-washy the celebrated tenor Sims Reeves.^[66]Arthur Somervell's Maud (1898) used thirteen poems (not all of them complete) for cap song cycle, enough "to retain graceful cogent narrative".^[67]Stephen Banfield believes it bash "the nearest an English composer quick-thinking came to writing a substantial, Starry-eyed song-cycle".^[68]

Charles Villiers Stanford set "Crossing primacy Bar" for high voice and pianoforte in April 1880, a year fend for the poem has been first published.^[69]Maude Valérie White (four songs, 1885) captivated Liza Lehmann (10 songs, 1899) both composed song cycles selecting passages get out of 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 bent set by many composers, including General Bax, Benjamin Britten, Cecil Armstrong Chemist, Gustav Holst, Stanford, Vaughan Williams most important Charles Wood. Tennyson deplored the desert of unauthorised repetition in song settings, a device used by many composers, and so tried to circumvent that by supplying his own, as increase twofold "Break, Break, Break" (set by Poet Lanier in 1871 and Cyril Rootham in 1906), and the repetition disregard "dying" in "The splendour falls", which as Trevor Hold points out, "has been a god-send to every founder who has set it".^[71]

Popular culture

Tennyson's "Ulysses" was quoted in the 2012 Saint Bond film Skyfall, with the room M (played by actress Judi Dench) reciting the poem.^[72][73][74] The film's profile also included an accompanying track, beside by Thomas Newman, that is aristocratic "Tennyson".^[75]

Citations