Lord Alfred Tennyson is acknowledged to be one of the most prolific poets of the United Kingdom, borne out by the fact that he is the second most quoted poet in the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations after William Shakespeare. He inherited a rich legacy from his predecessors Keats, Byron and Wordsworth taking forward the traditions of the Romantic Movement started by these poets.
He worked on a broad canvass not limited by any subject matter. His poetry and lyrics transcended all barriers and included nature, observations on the prevailing times, classical myths and even legends of yore. Among the notable body of his works that have stood the test of time are “The Charge of the Light Brigade”, “Crossing the Bar” and “Break, Break. Break”. His “Ulysses” and “Idylls of the King” are well known for its exquisite imagery and evocative verbal melodies.
Tennyson was born in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England on August 6, 1809, the fourth of twelve children. His penchant for prose became evident very early in his life when at the age of 12, he penned a 6,000 line epic poem. His early education was in the hands of his father the Reverend George Tennyson who tutored his son on modern and classical languages.
In 1827, Tennyson left home to join Trinity College, Cambridge where his poems attracted the attention of Arthur Hallam who headed an undergraduate literary club. The two became the best of friends and toured Europe together in 1830 and 1832. Tennyson literary talents truly flourished under the tutelage of Hallam. Tennyson was devastated when Hallam suddenly died in 1833.
By 1842, Tennyson had achieved great critical and popular success. His “Poems” in two volumes was hailed as a literary masterpiece followed in 1850 by “In Memoriam”. By this time, Tennyson was one of the most popular poets in Britain and was chosen to be the Poet Laureate, a worthy successor to Wordsworth. In 1850, he married Emily Sellwood with whom he had had a tumultuous relationship since 1836 and had two sons, Hallam and Lionel.
Tennyson soon became the most popular poet of the Victorian era. He bought a country house with his earnings which was substantial in those times and thus could focus on his writings in relative seclusion. The first poems of his epic “Idylls of the Kings” was published in 1859 and sold more than 10,000 copies in a month. In 1884 he accepted a peerage and became Lord Alfred Tennyson.
Tennyson died on October6, 1892 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.