Alfred, Lord Tennyson
"If one takes the point of view that the job of a poet is to sing, then Tennyson is unrivaled. It is with his superb music that he takes a ranking place among the great poets" (Rausen XII). During the Victorian age, he became a highly respected poet who gained a popular following seldom achieved by any poet in any age (Mazzeno 7: 2859). He was born on August 6, 1809 in the rectory. He was the fourth of twelve children of a Lincolnshire rector, Reverend George Clayton Tennyson, and of a vicar's daughter (deford 610). His father tutored him for the most part of his education, except for three years at the nearby Louth grammar school where he was treated very harsh (Rausen VII). Before Tennyson entered Trinity College, Canbridge, in 1828, he and his brother Charles published "Poems by Two Brothers." While attending the College, he became a member of The Apostles, which is where he first met Arthur Henry Hallam. Hallam became Tennyson's closest friend. When Hallam died in 1833, Tennyson grew overwhelmed with grief, which, later, prompted the writing of the long poem of faith and doubt, "In Memoriam" (Woods et al. 593-594). The period of time after Hallam's death was dreadful for Tennyson. One of his
Many critics consider "Ulysses" to be Tennyson's most significant short poem, because, from this time on, his fame was assured, and throughout his life he continued to be the most popular poet of Victorian England (Rausen IX). Of all the poems that Tennyson has written, "Ulysses" is maturer and graver (Woods et al. 594). In this poem, Tennyson is trying to rise above his grief and face life with resolution (Bush X). The reader can see Tennyson's theme of commitment to ideals and the essentially ironic poetic form that emerged during the nineteenth-century. In "Ulysses," Tennyson elaborates on his personal experiences and transforms his experiences into an art form that concerns all men. "Ulysses" is based in part on Homer's "Odyssey"; however, Tennyson uses the poetic tradition, especially the legacy of classical and Renaissance poets. Tennyson composed this poem after the death of Arthur Henry Hallam; therefore, some critics consider "Ulysses" to be his reason for living and writing even after dreading over a great personal tragedy that seemed to have robbed life of its meaning (Mazzeno 7: 2863-2864). It consists of twelve separate pieces tied together by the overarching structure provided by the legend itself--the rise and fall of Arthur and his Round Table. Within the framework individual idylls remain relatively self-contained units. The poet's examination of the downfall of a society that abandons its ideals is carried forward through an intricate patterning of repeated images and parallel scenes. (Mazzeno 7: 2868) brothers became insane and the other was an opium addict. Tennyson fell in love with Emily Sellwood in 1836, but money worries and ill health postponed their marriage for fourteen years. They finally married in 1850
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Approximate Word count = 1199
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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