A Study Of The Life And Career Of Lord Alfred Tennyson and Selected Cri

A Study Of The Life And Career Of Lord Alfred Tennyson And Selected Criticism Of His Works Whether a person likes or dislikes the works of Lord Alfred Tennyson, most would agree that he was one of the most influential writers of his time period. Tennyson grew up in a wealthy family never wanting for anything. English author often regarded as the chief representative of the Victorian age in poetry. Tennyson succeeded Wordsworth as Poet Laureate in 1850; he was appointed by Queen Victoria and served 42 years. Tennyson's works were melancholic, and reflected the moral and intellectual values of his time, which made them especially vulnerable for later critic. Alfred, Lord Tennyson was born in Somersby, Lincolnshire. His father, George Clayton Tennyson, a clergyman and rector, suffered from depression and was notoriously absentminded. Alfred began to write poetry at an early age in the style of Lord Byron. After spending four unhappy years in school he was tutored at home. Tennyson then studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he joined the literary club 'The Apostles' and met Arthur Hallam, who became his closest friend. The undergraduate society discussed contemporary social, religious, scientific, and literary issues. Encouraged by 'The Apostles', Tennyson published POEMS, CHIEFLY LYRICAL, in 1830, which included the popular 'Mariana'. He travelled with Hallam on the Continent. By 1830, Hallam had become engaged to Tennyson's sister Emily. After his father's death in 1831 Tennyson returned to Somersby without a degree. His next book, POEMS (1833), received unfavorable reviews, and Tennyson ceased to publish for nearly ten years. Hallam died suddenly on the same year in Vienna. It was a heavy blow to Tennyson. He began to write 'Im Memorian' for his lost friend - the work took seventeen years. A revised volume of Poems, which included the 'The Lady of Shalott' and 'The Lotus-eaters'. 'Morte d'Arthur' and 'Ulysses' appeared in 1842 in the two-volume POEMS, and established his reputation as a writer. In 'Ulysses Tennyson portrayed the Greek after his travels, longing past days: "How dull it is to pause, to make an end, / To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!" After marrying Emily Sellwood, whom he had already met in 1836,... ... heart blend and break, one against the other, with the pathetic inconsistency.† 7 As for Tennyson’s other great work, â€Å"Idylls of the King†, people seemed to give it a much nicer criticism. Prince Albert felt that the poems, which he thourghly enjoyed, â€Å"rekindle the feeling with which the legends of King Arthur must have inspired the chivalry of old, whilst the graceful form in which they are presented blends those feelings with the softer tone of our present age.† 8 Tennyson’s other popular works include: â€Å"The Princess†, â€Å"Maud† and â€Å"Drama† . These are just a few of his poems Tennyson wrote hundreds in his career. It seems that the critics of Tennyson’s work, either loves it or hates it there is rarely a middle ground. Most critics seems to enjoy â€Å"Idylls of the King† and give it much better reviews than those of â€Å"In Memoriam† which people don’t seem to like as much. Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-92) was considered England's greatest poet in the last half of the 19th century. People from every walk of life understood and loved his work.