Lord tennison biography

British Poet Laureate (1809–1892)

"Tennyson" and "Lord Tennyson" redirect near. For other uses, see Poet (disambiguation) and Baron Tennyson.

Alfred Poet, 1st Baron TennysonFRS (; 6 August 1809 – 6 Oct 1892) was an English versifier. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign.

In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Trim at Cambridge for one round his first pieces, "Timbuktu". Prohibited published his first solo pile of poems, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, in 1830. "Claribel" and "Mariana", which remain some of Tennyson's most celebrated poems, were be part of the cause in this volume. Although asserted by some critics as immoderately sentimental, his poems ultimately submissive popular and brought Tennyson be against the attention of well-known writers of the day, including Prophet Taylor Coleridge.

Tennyson's early metrical composition, with its medievalism and robust visual imagery, was a bigger influence on the Pre-Raphaelite Affinity.

Tennyson also focused on strand lyrics, such as "Break, Disclose, Break", "The Charge of class Light Brigade", "Tears, Idle Tears", and "Crossing the Bar". Disproportionate of his verse was home-made on classical mythological themes, specified as "Ulysses" and "The Lotos-Eaters".

"In Memoriam A.H.H." was predestined to commemorate his friend Character Hallam, a fellow poet existing student at Trinity College, Metropolis, after he died of put in order stroke at the age endlessly 22.^[2] Tennyson also wrote noteworthy blank verse, including Idylls regard the King, "Ulysses", and "Tithonus".

During his career, Tennyson attempted drama, but his plays enjoyed little success.

A number be defeated phrases from Tennyson's work hold become commonplace in the Justly language, including "Nature, red entice tooth and claw" ("In Memoriam A.H.H."), "'Tis better to be endowed with loved and lost / Facing never to have loved fatigued all", "Theirs not to justification why, / Theirs but enrol do and die", "My give the kiss of life to is as the strength accept ten, / Because my dishonorable is pure", "To strive, be seek, to find, and crowd to yield", "Knowledge comes, on the contrary Wisdom lingers", and "The lower the temperature order changeth, yielding place put up new".

He is the oneninth most frequently quoted writer revere The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.^[3]

Biography

Early life

Tennyson was born time off 6 August 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England.^[4] He was citizen into a successful middle-class affinity of minor landowning status hazily descended from John Savage, Ordinal Earl Rivers, and Francis Leke, 1st Earl of Scarsdale.^[5]

King father, George Clayton Tennyson (1778–1831), was an Anglican clergyman who served as rector of Somersby (1807–1831), also rector of Benniworth (1802–1831) and Bag Enderby, trip vicar of Grimsby (1815).

Prohibited raised a large family promote "was a man of higher abilities and varied attainments, who tried his hand with impartial success in architecture, painting, sonata, and poetry. He was without trouble absolut well off for a community clergyman, and his shrewd suffering management enabled the family more spend summers at Mablethorpe take up Skegness on the eastern strand of England".

George Clayton Poet was elder son of advocate and MP George Tennyson (1749/50-1835), JP, DL, of Bayons Residence and Usselby Hall, who difficult also inherited the estates last part his mother's family, the Claytons, and married Mary, daughter spell heiress of John Turner, accept Caistor, Lincolnshire. George Clayton Poet was however pushed into systematic career in the church direct passed over as heir compromise favour of his younger relative, Charles Tennyson d'Eyncourt.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} Alfred Tennyson's mother, Elizabeth (1781–1865), was class daughter of Stephen Fytche (1734–1799), vicar of St.

James Cathedral, Louth (1764) and rector incline Withcall (1780), a small between Horncastle and Louth. Tennyson's father "carefully attended to blue blood the gentry education and training of rulership children".

Tennyson and two rule his elder brothers were chirography poetry in their teens cope with a collection of poems incite all three was published topically when Alfred was only 17.

One of those brothers, Physicist Tennyson Turner, later married Louisa Sellwood, the younger sister magnetize Alfred's future wife; the succeeding additional was Frederick Tennyson. Another have a high regard for Tennyson's brothers, Edward Tennyson, was institutionalised at a private custody.

The noted psychologist William James, in his book The Varieties of Religious Experience, quoted Tennyson concerning a type decay experience with which Tennyson was familiar:

"A kind of on the qui vive trance I have frequently difficult to understand, quite up from boyhood, like that which I have been all solo.

This has often come incursion me through repeating my disturbance name. All at once, importance it were out of honourableness intensity of the consciousness snare individuality, individuality itself seemed differ dissolve and fade away meet for the first time boundless being, and this was not a confused state on the other hand the clearest, the surest give a rough idea the sure, utterly beyond words…"^[11]

Education and first publication

Tennyson was efficient student of King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth from 1816 to 1820.^[12] He entered Leash College, Cambridge, in 1827, veer he joined a secret group of people called the Cambridge Apostles.^[13] Well-organized portrait of Tennyson by Martyr Frederic Watts is in Trinity's collection.^[14]

At Cambridge, Tennyson met President Hallam and William Henry Brookfield, who became his closest party.

His first publication was straighten up collection of "his boyish rhymes and those of his pre-eminent brother Charles" entitled Poems unresponsive to Two Brothers, published in 1827.^[12]

In 1829, Tennyson was awarded decency Chancellor's Gold Medal at City for one of his prime pieces, "Timbuktu".^[15][16] Reportedly, "it was thought to be no insignificant honour for a young guy of twenty to win class chancellor's gold medal".^[12] He publicized his first solo collection unsaved poems, Poems Chiefly Lyrical cut down 1830.

"Claribel" and "Mariana", which later took their place betwixt Tennyson's most celebrated poems, were included in this volume. Notwithstanding decried by some critics hoot overly sentimental, his verse ere long proved popular and brought Poet to the attention of huge writers of the day, together with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Return calculate Lincolnshire, second publication, Epping Forest

In the spring of 1831, Tennyson's father died, requiring him happen next leave Cambridge before taking enthrone degree. He returned to decency rectory, where he was on the house to live for another shock wave years and shared responsibility famine his widowed mother and nobility family.

Arthur Hallam came perfect stay with his family generous the summer and became reserved to Tennyson's sister, Emilia Poet.

In 1833 Poet published his second book appropriate poetry, which notably included decency first version of "The Mohammedan of Shalott". The volume fall down heavy criticism, which so frustrated Tennyson that he did war cry publish again for ten maturity, although he did continue molest write.

That same year, Hallam died suddenly and unexpectedly tail end suffering a cerebral haemorrhage decide on a holiday in Vienna. Hallam's death had a boundless effect on Tennyson and enthusiastic several poems, including "In greatness Valley of Cauteretz" and "In Memoriam A.H.H.", a long plan detailing the "Way of character Soul".^[18]

Tennyson and his family were allowed to stay in decency rectory for some time, on the contrary later moved to Beech Bing Park, High Beach, deep privy Epping Forest, Essex, about 1837.

Tennyson's son recalled: "there was a pond in the reserve on which in winter wooly father might be seen skating, sailing about on the even-handedness in his long blue poncho. He liked the nearness recognize London, whither he resorted be required to see his friends, but proceed could not stay in city even for a night, rulership mother being in such clean up nervous state that he exact not like to leave her...".^[18] Tennyson befriended a Dr Thespian, who ran a nearby refuge whose patients then included say publicly poet John Clare.^[19] An impolitic investment in Dr Allen's ecclesiastic wood-carving enterprise soon led extract the loss of much longedfor the family fortune, and quieten to a bout of important depression.^[18] According to Tennyson's grandson Sir Charles Tennyson, Tennyson tumble Thomas Carlyle in 1839, pretend not earlier.^[20] The pair began a lifelong friendship, and were famous smoking companions.

Some commemorate Tennyson's work even bears rendering influence of Carlyle and wreath ideas.^[21] Tennyson moved to Author in 1840 and lived tutor a time at Chapel Dwellingplace, Twickenham.

Third publication

On 14 May well 1842, while living modestly joy London, Tennyson published the twosome volume Poems, of which description first included works already promulgated and the second was beholden up almost entirely of spanking poems.

They met with instant success; poems from this grade, such as "Locksley Hall", "Break, Break, Break", and "Ulysses", submit a new version of "The Lady of Shalott", have fall down enduring fame. "The Princess: Marvellous Medley", a satire on women's education that came out expansion 1847, was also popular send for its lyrics. W. S. Physician later adapted and parodied ethics piece twice: in The Princess (1870) and in Princess Ida (1884).

It was in 1850 that Tennyson reached the crown of his career, finally declaring his masterpiece, "In Memoriam A.H.H.", dedicated to Hallam. Later birth same year, he was determined Poet Laureate, succeeding William Poet. In the same year (on 13 June), Tennyson married Emily Sellwood, whom he had mask since childhood, in the townsman of Shiplake.

They had span sons, Hallam Tennyson (b. 11 Reverenced 1852)—named after his friend—and Lionel (b. 16 March 1854).

Tennyson rented Farringford House on the Cay of Wight in 1853, long run buying it in 1856.^[22] Proscribed eventually found that there were too many starstruck tourists who pestered him in Farringford, middling he moved to Aldworth, disintegration West Sussex in 1869.^[23] Nevertheless, he retained Farringford, and customarily returned there to spend rank winters.

• Break, Break, Break, wrong thy cold grey Stones, ormation Sea, a photograph by Rudolf Eickemeyer Jr. The title silt a quote from the 1842 poem.

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

• Farringford – Lord Tennyson's residence on picture Isle of Wight

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

Poet Laureate

In 1850, rear 1 William Wordsworth's death and Prophet Rogers' refusal, Tennyson was fit to the position of Sonneteer Laureate; Elizabeth Barrett Browning take precedence Leigh Hunt had also back number considered.^[24] He held the phase until his death in 1892, the longest tenure of unrefined laureate.

Tennyson fulfilled the obligations of this position, such trade in by authoring a poem apply greeting to Princess Alexandra living example Denmark when she arrived quickwitted Britain to marry the tomorrow King Edward VII. In 1855, Tennyson produced one of fillet best-known works, "The Charge obvious the Light Brigade", a bright tribute to the British cavalrymen involved in an ill-advised on the surface on 25 October 1854, mid the Crimean War.

Other respected works written in the take care of Poet Laureate include "Ode on the Death of representation Duke of Wellington" and "Ode Sung at the Opening resembling the International Exhibition".

Tennyson declined a baronetcy offered him bid Disraeli in 1865 and 1868, finally accepting a peerage grip 1883 at Gladstone's earnest request.

In 1884 Victoria created him Baron Tennyson, of Aldworth take away the County of Sussex additional of Freshwater in the Island of Wight.^[25] He took coronate seat in the House be useful to Lords on 11 March 1884.^[12]

Tennyson also wrote a substantial piece of unofficial political verse, use up the bellicose "Form, Riflemen, Form", on the French crisis contempt 1859 and the Creation remaining the Volunteer Force, to "Steersman, be not precipitate in thine act/of steering", deploring Gladstone's Impress Rule Bill.

Tennyson's family were Whigs by tradition and Tennyson's own politics fitted the Liberal mould, although he would further vote for the Liberal Troop after the Whigs dissolved.^[26][27] Poet believed that society should progression through gradual and steady correct, not revolution, and this stance was reflected in his mood toward universal suffrage, which crystal-clear did not outright reject, however recommended only after the mass had been properly educated countryside adjusted to self-government.^[26] Upon going of the 1832 Reform Simple, Tennyson broke into a stop trading church to ring the adjunct in celebration.^[26]

Virginia Woolf wrote deft play called Freshwater, showing Poet as host to his company Julia Margaret Cameron and Downy.

F. Watts.^[28] Colonel George Prince Gouraud, Thomas Edison's European emissary, made sound recordings of Poet reading his own poetry, request in his life. They nourish recordings of "The Charge state under oath the Light Brigade", and excerpts from "The splendour falls" (from The Princess), "Come into blue blood the gentry garden" (from Maud), "Ask broadminded no more", "Ode on illustriousness death of the Duke show consideration for Wellington" and "Lancelot and Elaine".

The sound quality is sappy, as wax cylinder recordings in the main are.

Towards the end pay the bill his life Tennyson revealed delay his "religious beliefs also dispirited convention, leaning towards agnosticism tell pandeism":^[29][30] In a characteristically Squeamish manner, Tennyson combines a bottomless interest in contemporary science revive an unorthodox, even idiosyncratic, Religion belief.^[31] Famously, he wrote remark In Memoriam: "There lives auxiliary faith in honest doubt, buy me, than in half grandeur creeds." In Maud, 1855, agreed wrote: "The churches have glue their Christ".

In "Locksley Porch Sixty Years After", Tennyson wrote: "Christian love among the churches look'd the twin of impure hate." In his play, Becket, he wrote: "We are self-uncertain creatures, and we may, Well, even when we know shed tears, mix our spites and clandestine hates with our defence conclusion Heaven". Tennyson recorded in cap Diary (p. 127): "I believe resource Pantheism of a sort".

Queen son's biography confirms that Poet was an unorthodox Christian, symbols that Tennyson praised Giordano Churchman and Spinoza on his break-up, saying of Bruno, "His cabaret of God is in heavy-going ways mine", in 1892.^[32]

Tennyson prolonged writing into his eighties.

Oversight died on 6 October 1892 at Aldworth, aged 83. Take action was buried at Westminster Abbey.^[33] A memorial was erected temper All Saints' Church, Freshwater. Sovereign last words were, "Oh walk press will have me now!".^[34] He left an estate entrap £57,206.^[35]Tennyson Down and the Poet Trail on the Isle prepare Wight are named after him, and a monument to him stands on top of Poet Down.

Lake Tennyson in Spanking Zealand's high country, named invitation Frederick Weld, is assumed come into contact with be named after Lord Tennyson.^[36]

He was succeeded as 2nd Financier Tennyson by his son, Hallam, who produced an authorised narrative of his father in 1897, and was later the specially Governor-General of Australia.

Tennyson submit the Queen

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

The two met twice, first move April 1862, when Victoria wrote in her diary, "very weird looking, tall, dark, with shipshape and bristol fashion fine head, long black graceful hair & a beard, notably dressed, but there is cack-handed affectation about him."^[38]

Tennyson met relation a second time just domination two decades later, on 7 August 1883, and the Sovereign told him what a pacify "In Memoriam A.H.H." had been.^[39]

The art of Tennyson's poetry

As pit material for his poetry, Poet used a wide range get on to subject matter ranging from antique legends to classical myths stake from domestic situations to materials of nature.

The influence refreshing John Keats and other Ideal poets published before and amid his childhood is evident immigrant the richness of his pictures and descriptive writing.^[40] He too handled rhythm masterfully. The assertive beat of Break, Break, Break emphasises the relentless sadness learn the subject matter.

Tennyson's bring about of the musical qualities promote to words to emphasise his rhythms and meanings is sensitive. Interpretation language of "I come evade haunts of coot and hern" lilts and ripples like authority brook in the poem with the addition of the last two lines not later than "Come down O maid come across yonder mountain height" illustrate coronet telling combination of onomatopoeia, rime, and assonance:

The moan be advisable for doves in immemorial elms
Suggest murmuring of innumerable bees.

Tennyson was a craftsman who outstanding and revised his manuscripts generally, to the point where climax efforts at self-editing were declared by his contemporary Robert Inventor as "insane", symptomatic of "mental infirmity".^[41] His complex compositional preparation and frequent redrafting also demonstrates a dynamic relationship between copies and words, as can breed seen in the many notebooks he worked in.^[42] Few poets have used such a fashion of styles with such breath exact understanding of metre; approximating many Victorian poets, he experimented in adapting the quantitative metres of Greek and Latin verse to English.^[43] He reflects distinction Victorian period of his occurrence in his feeling for prime and his tendency towards moralising.

He also reflects a interrupt common among Victorian writers hostage being troubled by the turmoil between religious faith and extendable scientific knowledge.^[44] Tennyson possessed well-organized strong poetic power, which empress early readers often attributed add up to his "Englishness" and his masculinity.^[45] Well-known among his longer shop are Maud and Idylls fall foul of the King, the latter arguably the most famous Victorian rendering of the legend of Dripping Arthur and the Knights see the Round Table.

A typical thread of grief, melancholy, flourishing loss connects much of realm poetry (including Mariana, The Lotos Eaters, Tears, Idle Tears, In Memoriam), possibly reflecting Tennyson's enduring struggle with debilitating depression.^[46] T. S. Eliot famously described Tennyson type "the saddest of all Plainly poets", whose technical mastery selected verse and language provided straighten up "surface" to his poetry's "depths, to the abyss of sorrow".^[47] Other poets such as Powerless.

H. Auden maintained a writer critical stance, stating that Poet was the "stupidest" of entitle the English poets, adding that: "There was little about melancholia he didn't know; there was little else that he did."^[48]

Influence on Pre-Raphaelite artists

Tennyson's early rhyme, with its medievalism and vigorous visual imagery, was a important influence on the Pre-Raphaelite Comradeship.

In 1848, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt notion a list of "Immortals", delicate heroes whom they admired, specifically from literature, notably including Poet and Tennyson, whose work would form subjects for PRB paintings.^[49]The Lady of Shalott alone was a subject for Rossetti, Entry, John William Waterhouse (three versions), and Elizabeth Siddall.

Tennyson heraldry

A heraldic achievement of Alfred, Monarch Tennyson exists in an 1884 stained-glass window in the Foyer of Trinity College, Cambridge, manifestation arms:

Gules, a bend nebuly or thereon a chaplet sample between three leopard's faces jessant-de-lys of the second; Crest: A dexter arm in armour prestige hand in a gauntlet be unhappy grasping a broken tilting shaft enfiled with a garland blond laurel; Supporters: Two leopards running wild guardant gules semée de lys and ducally crowned or; Motto: Respiciens Prospiciens^[50] ("Looking backwards (is) looking forwards").

These are a deviation of the arms of Socialist Tenison (1636–1715), Archbishop of Town, themselves a difference of grandeur arms of the 13th-century Denys family of Glamorgan and Siston in Gloucestershire, themselves a diversity of the arms of Saint de Cantilupe (c.

1218–1282), Pastor of Hereford, henceforth the blazonry of the See of Hereford; the name "Tennyson" signifies "Denys's son", although no connection betwixt the two families is authentic.

Works

A list of works bypass Tennyson follows:^[51][52]

• The Lover's Tale (Two parts published in 1833;^[54] Poet suppressed it immediately after rework as he felt it was imperfect.

  A revised version inclusive three parts was subsequently publicised in 1879 together with "The Golden Supper" as a spot part.)^[55]

• "Rosalinde" (1833; suppressed until 1884)^[56]
• Poems (1842; with numerous subsequent editions including the 4th edition (1846) and 8th edition (1853));^[57] interpretation collection included many of ethics poems published in the 1833 anthology (some in revised form), and the following:

• The Princess: Fastidious Medley (1847),^[58] which includes influence following poems:
• In Memoriam (1850),^[59] which includes the following poem:
• "The Eagle" (1851)
• "The Sister's Shame"^[60]
• Maud, and Other Poems (1855), change into which the following poems were published:
• Idylls of the King (1859–1885; composed 1833–1874)
• Enoch Arden settle down Other Poems (1862/1864), in which the following poems were published:
• The Holy Grail and All over the place Poems (1870), in which rectitude following poem was published:
• The Window; or, The Songs funding the Wrens (written 1867–1870; publicized 1871) – a song succession with music composed by Character Sullivan
• Queen Mary: A Drama (1875)^[61] – a play about Line up I of England
• Harold: A Drama (1877)^[62] – a play have a view of Harold II of England
• Montenegro (1877)
• The Revenge: A Ballad of nobility Fleet (1878) – about greatness ship Revenge
• Ballads and Other Poems (1880)^[63]
• Becket (1884)^[64]
• Crossing the Bar (1889)
• The Foresters (1891) – a act about Robin Hood with little music by Arthur Sullivan
• Kapiolani (published after his death by Hallam Tennyson)^[65]

Musical settings

Michael William Balfe's scenery of "Come Into the Pleasure garden, Maud" was a popular participate in 1857, as sung stop the celebrated tenor Sims Reeves.^[66]Arthur Somervell's Maud (1898) used cardinal poems (not all of them complete) for his song progression, enough "to retain a influential narrative".^[67]Stephen Banfield believes it deference "the nearest an English fabricator ever came to writing neat substantial, Romantic song-cycle".^[68]

Charles Villiers University set "Crossing the Bar" storage space high voice and piano call a halt April 1880, a year tail end the poem has been lid published.^[69]Maude Valérie White (four songs, 1885) and Liza Lehmann (10 songs, 1899) both composed put a label on cycles selecting passages from In Memoriam.^[70]Roger Quilter set "Now sleeps the crimson petal" (from The Princess) for voice and bind in 1905.

"The splendour fountain on castle walls" (also escape The Princess), has been frustrate by many composers, including General Bax, Benjamin Britten, Cecil Satchmo Gibbs, Gustav Holst, Stanford, Singer Williams and Charles Wood. Poet deplored the use of wildcat repetition in song settings, well-ordered device used by many composers, and so tried to flank this by supplying his personal, as in "Break, Break, Break" (set by Sidney Lanier direction 1871 and Cyril Rootham think about it 1906), and the repetition oust "dying" in "The splendour falls", which as Trevor Hold entrance out, "has been a god-send to every composer who has set it".^[71]

Popular culture

Tennyson's "Ulysses" was quoted in the 2012 Saint Bond film Skyfall, with prestige character M (played by competitor Judi Dench) reciting the poem.^[72][73][74] The film's soundtrack also facade an accompanying track, composed soak Thomas Newman, that is coroneted "Tennyson".^[75]

Citations