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Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809–1892)

Author of Idylls of the King

652+ Works 12,519 Members 89 Reviews 57 Favorited

About the Author

Alfred Tennyson was born on August 6, 1809 in Somersby, England. He attended Trinity College in Cambridge. Tennyson is chiefly known for his poetry, an art form that had interested him since the age of six. His best known work is the Idylls of the King. Tennyson was appointed Poet Laureate of show more England in 1850 and became the Baron of Aldworth and Farrington in 1883. Tennyson was still writing his his 80s, and died on October 6, 1892 near Haslemere, England. (Bowker Author Biography) If there were a contest for the title "greatest Victorian poet," Tennyson would in death, as in life, obtain the prize. He had the finest ear of any English poet, admitting to know the metrical value of every word in the English language except "scissors." In addition, his ability to evoke a closely rendered scene was unsurpassed. Therefore, although those who sought to attack Tennyson called him "the stupidest of the English poets," he remains the only one ennobled for his poetry. Tennyson was born at Somersby rectory in Lincolnshire, the son of the rector there, and was educated at Louth Grammar School and Trinity College, Cambridge. His earliest published verse, Poems Chiefly Lyrical (1830) and Poems (1833), were considered too sentimental by many critics. Signs of future greatness could be detected in some of the poems in these collections, however. In 1842, a new volume entitled Poems was published. This work, consisting of heavily revised poems from the two earlier collections as well as many new poems, helped to establish Tennyson's fame. His masterpiece, In Memoriam (1850), crowned his fame. The work is a tribute to his close friend Arthur Henry Hallam, whose sudden death in 1833 was a crucial event in the poet's life. The year it was published he succeeded Wordsworth as poet laureate of England. Thereafter, he became tremendously popular and held the respect and admiration of the nation, including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. From that point, Tennyson also became the poet of the establishment, and for the next 40 years he was the Parnassian idol whom younger poets would vainly seek to topple. In many of his poems, including "Ulysses," "The Princess," and "Idylls of the King" (1859--1885), Tennyson trumpeted the creed of the benevolent tyrant. It was this embrace of an authoritarian universe that, as much as his versecraft, had earned him the respect of the British monarchs. His lifelong fascination with King Arthur was the inspiration for Idylls of the King, a series of 12 narrative poems published over a period of 26 years. In 1888, Tennyson chronologically arranged these 12 poems, thus depicting the full story of Arthur and his vision of the perfect state. Tennyson's last poem, "Crossing the Bar," was a 16-line lyric written while crossing from Lymington to the Isle of Wight. It was included in a collection entitled Demeter and Other Poems published in 1889. Tennyson's most characteristic form of poetry was the idyl, a poem of country life. These poems frequently take the form of dramatic reveries that tell a story. Mood is often created through the power of richly described settings. All of Tennyson's work reflects his talent for achieving fine shades of poetic expression, and his lyrics express the emotions and experiences shared by all people. His work is also notable for its heroic quality. In 1883, Tennyson was awarded the title of Baron Tennyson by Queen Victoria; his full title was Baron of Aldworth and Farringford. When he died in 1892, he was buried in the Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey. Tennyson's letters show almost nothing of the vividness and brilliance of his poetry, but Cecil Y. Lang and Edgar F. Shannon have been publishing them for their sidelights. More important for an understanding of Tennyson's poetry, the century-long ban on publishing the contents of Tennyson's notebooks, held by Trinity College in Cambridge, was lifted not long ago; an edition of In Memoriam, incorporating these variants, was brought out by Susan Shatto and Marion Shaw in 1982. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Series

Works by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Idylls of the King (1939) 2,552 copies
Poems of Tennyson (1880) — Author — 1,142 copies
The Lady of Shalott (1986) 529 copies
Selected Poems (Dover Thrift Editions) (1992) — Author — 373 copies
Tennyson's Poems (1800) 253 copies
In Memoriam (1850) 184 copies
The Princess (1864) 145 copies
Enoch Arden (1864) 107 copies
Selected Poems (2003) 78 copies
The Song of the Brook (1881) 60 copies
The Coming of Arthur (1900) 41 copies
The King Arthur Collection (1350) — Author — 41 copies
Poems of Tennyson {Buckley} (1958) 38 copies
A Choice of Tennyson's Verse (1971) — Author — 36 copies
Maud, and other poems (1855) 31 copies
Enoch Arden and Other Poems (1916) 29 copies
The Holy Grail (1904) 27 copies
Maud (1878) 26 copies
Selections from Tennyson (1921) 25 copies
The Princess and Maud (1888) 25 copies
In Memoriam and Other Poems (1899) 24 copies
Lancelot and Elaine (1900) 22 copies
Gems from Tennyson (1866) 19 copies
Tennyson (1878) 18 copies
Beauties of Tennyson (1885) 17 copies
Queen Mary : a drama (1875) 16 copies
A Dream of Fair Women (1880) 16 copies
Crossing the Bar (1900) 14 copies
Tennyson's Poetical Works (1899) 13 copies
Morte d'Arthur (1988) 13 copies
Tennyson Poems & Plays (1967) 13 copies
An Evening with Tennyson (1907) 13 copies
Gareth and Lynette (1872) 13 copies
Ulysses (2012) 13 copies
Ballads and other poems (1880) 12 copies
Tennyson: Poetry & Prose (1947) 12 copies
Demeter and other Poems (2003) 12 copies
Lady Clare (1884) 12 copies
Tiresias, and other poems (1885) 11 copies
Songs and poems (1940) 11 copies
Gareth & Lynette &c (1872) 10 copies
Tennyson and Browning (1947) 9 copies
Harold; a drama 9 copies
The Last Tournament (2012) 9 copies
Becket and Other Plays (2004) 7 copies
Becket (1884) 7 copies
Elaine (2007) 6 copies
Tennyson: Pocket Poets (1958) 6 copies
Love Poems of Tennyson (1920) 6 copies
Selections from Tennyson (1957) — Author — 5 copies
Lovers Tale 5 copies
The May Queen (2015) 5 copies
Tales from Tennyson (2016) 5 copies
Selected poems. (1964) 5 copies
Ring Out, WIld Bells (1882) 5 copies
The Best of Tennyson (1930) 5 copies
Locksley Hall (1886) 4 copies
Violets from Tennyson (1898) 4 copies
Queen Mary and Harold (2012) 4 copies
FAMOUS POEMS (1932) 4 copies
Poems, chiefly lyrical (1991) 4 copies
Vivien (1867) 4 copies
Tennyson's Works (1878) 3 copies
The Kraken (1830) 3 copies
Geraint and Enid (1906) 3 copies
Princess. Maud. 3 copies
Stories From Tennyson (1914) 2 copies
Mariana 2 copies
Tennyson Poetry 2 copies
Tennyson's Poetical Works (1900) 2 copies
Now sleeps the crimson Petal. (Sheet music) (1904) — Lyrics — 2 copies
Fifty Poems: 1830-1864 (2014) 2 copies
The Works of Tennyson (1969) 2 copies
Cycle of songs from Maud — Lyrics — 2 copies
Tennyson: Selected poems (1999) 2 copies
The Gateway to Tennyson (1910) 2 copies
The Falcon 2 copies
Poems, Volume II (1856) 2 copies
Guinevere 2 copies
The Eagle 2 copies
Unpublished Early Poems (1932) 2 copies
Tennyson Poetical Works (1880) 2 copies
Merlin and Vivien (2013) 2 copies
The Brook and Other Poems (1893) 2 copies
Tithonus 2 copies
Works 1 copy
Poems, 1832 (2015) 1 copy
Day by Day 1 copy
The Open Air 1 copy
A Book of Merlin (2016) 1 copy
Selected poems (1967) 1 copy
The Higher Pantheism (2006) 1 copy
The Daisy 1 copy
Choric Song 1 copy
The Poet 1 copy
Song 1 copy
To the Queen 1 copy
Day Dream (ill.) (1886) 1 copy
ALFRED TENNYSON: POEMS OF 1842. (1968) — Author — 1 copy
Miti e leggende (2008) 1 copy
Song of the Brook (2017) 1 copy
A dream of fair women, (1880) 1 copy
Dedication 1 copy
Dikter 1 copy
Dora 1 copy
Select Poems of Alfred Tennyson — Author — 1 copy
The Cup (2017) 1 copy
The Devil and the Lady (1930) 1 copy
Tiresias. 1 copy
Lyric Poems 1 copy
Works (2 vols.) (2013) 1 copy
Works of Tennyson (1884) 1 copy
Viviane 1 copy
Poemas 1 copy
Godiva 1 copy

Associated Works

Paradise Lost [Norton Critical Edition] (1667) — Contributor, some editions — 2,194 copies
One Hundred and One Famous Poems (1916) — Contributor, some editions — 1,932 copies
The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms (2000) — Contributor — 1,254 copies
Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (1995) — Contributor, some editions — 915 copies
The Nation's Favourite Poems (1996) — Contributor, some editions — 622 copies
English Poetry, Volume III: From Tennyson to Whitman (1909) — Contributor — 607 copies
The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis (2001) — Contributor — 545 copies
A Treasury of the World's Best Loved Poems (1961) — Contributor — 524 copies
Fables for Our Time and Famous Poems Illustrated (1940) — Contributor — 383 copies
Literature: The Human Experience (2006) — Contributor — 338 copies
In the Nursery (1932) — Contributor — 285 copies
Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985) — Contributor — 277 copies
From the Tower Window (My Book House) (1932) — Contributor — 264 copies
The Treasure Chest (1932) — Contributor — 258 copies
The Penguin Book of Homosexual Verse (1983) — Contributor — 236 copies
The Mammoth Book of Arthurian Legends (1998) — Contributor — 195 copies
The Columbia Anthology of Gay Literature (1998) — Contributor — 158 copies
Best Remembered Poems (1992) — Contributor — 157 copies
The Faber Book of Beasts (1997) — Contributor — 140 copies
A Literary Christmas: An Anthology (2013) — Contributor — 134 copies
Dragons, Elves, and Heroes (1969) — Contributor — 122 copies
Major British Writers, Volumes I and II (1954) — Contributor — 122 copies
Poems of Early Childhood (Childcraft) (1923) — Contributor — 118 copies
The Standard Book of British and American Verse (1932) — Contributor — 114 copies
The Norton Book of Travel (1987) — Contributor — 110 copies
The Charge of the Light Brigade and Other Story Poems (1966) — Contributor — 109 copies
Project Solar Sail (1990) — Contributor — 99 copies
Storytelling and Other Poems (1949) — Contributor — 90 copies
The Everyman Anthology of Poetry for Children (1994) — Contributor — 72 copies
A Book of Narrative Verse (1930) — Contributor — 61 copies
Doré's Illustrations for "Idylls of the King" (1995) — Contributor — 59 copies
Prose and Poetry for Appreciation (1934) — Contributor — 44 copies
The Magic Circle: Stories and People in Poetry (1952) — Contributor — 32 copies
Modern Arthurian Literature (1992) — Contributor — 31 copies
The Charge of the Light Brigade [1968 film] (1968) — Original poem — 30 copies
The Lakeland Poets: An Illustrated Collection (1991) — Contributor — 28 copies
Angels of Darkness: Tales of Troubled and Troubling Women (1995) — Contributor — 27 copies
A Skeleton At the Helm (2008) — Contributor — 27 copies
Dark of the Moon: Poems of Fantasy and the Macabre (1947) — Contributor — 26 copies
And the Darkness Falls (1946) — Contributor — 21 copies
100 Story Poems (1951) — Contributor — 20 copies
AQA Anthology (2002) — Author, some editions — 19 copies
Masters of British Literature, Volume B (2007) — Contributor — 16 copies
Classic Hymns & Carols (2012) — Contributor — 15 copies
Poems of Magic and Spells (1960) — Contributor — 14 copies
Fairy Poems (2023) — Contributor — 13 copies
English Narrative Poems (1909) — Contributor — 12 copies
Men and Women: The Poetry of Love (1970) — Contributor — 8 copies
An Adult's Garden of Bloomers (1966) — Contributor — 7 copies
Suspense: A Treasury for Young Adults (1966) — Contributor — 6 copies
Poetry anthology (2000) — Contributor, some editions — 6 copies
Selected Ballads (2002) — Contributor — 5 copies
Evergreen Stories (1998) — Contributor — 5 copies
La poesía inglesa románticos y victorianos — Contributor — 4 copies
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 5, January 1978 (1978) — Contributor — 3 copies
A Chilling Collection (1979) — Contributor — 2 copies
George Riddle's Readings — Contributor — 1 copy
Ferdinand Freiligraths Werke - Neue Pracht-Ausgabe (1900) — Contributor — 1 copy
Morte de Smudgie — Contributor — 1 copy

Tagged

(86) 17th century (81) 19th century (325) anthology (873) Arthurian (234) Arthurian legend (88) British (163) British literature (196) classic (189) classics (332) collection (123) drama (96) English (187) English literature (289) English poetry (123) epic (73) fantasy (160) fiction (802) hardcover (117) Harvard Classics (77) horror (134) humor (70) King Arthur (140) literary criticism (101) literature (864) non-fiction (212) own (108) poems (138) poetry (6,052) poetry anthology (70) read (110) reference (100) religion (85) short stories (211) Tennyson (108) textbook (90) to-read (510) unread (91) Victorian (157) writing (72)

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Reviews

Rating is for the introduction by Christopher Ricks, a really nice oral history of Tennyson's life.
 
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adamhindman | Jan 1, 2024 |
I guess a lot of literature experts/commentators/teachers/professors would say that there was a lot lacking in my schooling, but I don't understand what all the hoopla is about with Tennyson. I don't know how they can describe him as a genius. I did not enjoy his style or his flights of fancy about his subjects. The only piece I liked from this collection was his story about Enoch Arden. Mr. Jagger's commentary on "The Life of Tennyson" at the back of the book was interesting but also waltzed off into similar flights of fancy that I felt Tennyson does himself. Maybe that's why I became a steam engineer and not a teacher of poems.… (more)
 
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gmillar | Dec 7, 2023 |
I was surprised by some of the stories included in this poem about King Arthur and his knights. I found the language bogged me down in a few spots but it was mostly quite readable.
 
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leslie.98 | 16 other reviews | Jun 27, 2023 |
Of the five suggested Tennyson poems to read, I finished The Dying Swan, In Memoriam, The Lady of Shalott, and The Lotos-Eaters. I skipped the Idylls of the King because I tried reading that some time ago, and quit. It's quite long, and I am doing the bear minimum of poetry reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed Tennyson's poems, especially The Lady of Shalott, The Lotus-Eaters, and In Memoriam. His poetic style is rhythmic and simple and pleasant, and his themes are emotional, as he deals with loss and grief and sadness. The Lady of Shalott is Medieval and The Lotus-Eaters is Greek mythology. Initially, I sensed he may be an orthodox Christian, but a little research explained how his faith was more emotional than rational, and I can definitely see that.

I am making a mental note that if I ever read more poetry, I will read Tennyson!
… (more)
 
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GRLopez | 1 other review | May 9, 2023 |

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Florence Harrison Illustrator
A.T. Quiller-Couch Introduction
Arthur Waugh Introduction, Editor
George Barker Foreword
Gustave Dore Illustrator
Ruth Padel Editor
A. F. Bellows Illustrator
F. B. Schell Illustrator
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Mick Imlah Editor
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Mrs Andrew Lang Introduction
Norman Ault Illustrator
Louis Untermeyer Editor & Introduction
G.M. Richards Illustrator
James Archer Cover artist
Lynd Ward Illustrator
Robert Ball Illustrator
Willian T. Vlymen Editor and notes
Payne Jennings Photographer
Bernadette Watts Illustrator
Charles Keeping Illustrator
Kingsley Hart Introduction
Cesare Dapino Translator
Everard Hopkins Illustrator
Bertha Stuart Cover designer
Allen Garns Illustrator
Alice Provenson Illustrator
Martin Provensen Illustrator
G. C. Macaulay Introduction, Editor
SIR HERBERT. WARREN Introduction
T. S. Eliot Introduction
F. J. Rowe Editor
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Herbert Warren Introduction
Byam Shaw Illustrator
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Statistics

Works
652
Also by
86
Members
12,519
Popularity
#1,872
Rating
4.1
Reviews
89
ISBNs
532
Languages
8
Favorited
57

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