Alfred, Lord Tennyson: Victorian Poet and Major Works Analysis
Alfred, Lord Tennyson: Chief Victorian Poet
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (born August 6, 1809, Somersby, Lincolnshire, England—died October 6, 1892, Aldworth, Surrey) was an English poet often regarded as the chief representative of the Victorian Age in poetry. He was raised to the peerage in 1884.
Early Life and Education
Tennyson was the fourth of 12 children, born into an old Lincolnshire family; his father was a rector. In 1815, he was sent to Louth Grammar School, where he was unhappy, leaving in 1820. Although home conditions were difficult, his father provided him with a wide literary education. Alfred was precocious, and before his teens, he had composed poetry imitating the styles of Alexander Pope, Sir Walter Scott, and John Milton.
In 1827, Alfred and his brother Charles joined their brother Frederick at Trinity College, Cambridge. Tennyson achieved early recognition in 1829 when he won the Chancellor’s Gold Medal for his poem, Timbuctoo. His first major collection, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, was published in 1830. That same year, Tennyson, Hallam, and other members of the Apostles society traveled to Spain to support the unsuccessful revolution against Ferdinand VII. In 1832 (dated 1833), Tennyson published a second volume featuring notable works such as:
- “The Lotos-Eaters”
- “The Palace of Art”
- “The Lady of Shalott”
Later poems included “Morte d’Arthur,” “The Two Voices,” “Locksley Hall,” and “The Vision of Sin,” alongside works revealing a strange naïveté, such as “The May Queen,” “Lady Clara Vere de Vere,” and “The Lord of Burleigh.” In 1847, he published his first long poem, The Princess, described as a singular anti-feminist fantasia.
Analysis of “Crossing the Bar” (1889)
“Crossing the Bar” is an 1889 poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It is often considered an elegy where the narrator uses an extended metaphor to compare death with crossing the “sandbar” between the river of life (with its outgoing “flood”) and the ocean that lies beyond (death), the “boundless deep,” to which we return.
Tennyson is believed to have written the poem after suffering a serious illness, possibly while crossing the Solent from Aldworth to Farringford on the Isle of Wight, or perhaps on a yacht anchored in Salcombe. He famously stated, “The words came in a moment.” Shortly before his death, Tennyson instructed his son Hallam to “put ‘Crossing the Bar’ at the end of all editions of my poems.”
Structure and Metaphor
The poem consists of four stanzas employing a traditional ABAB rhyme scheme. Scholars note that the form mirrors the content: the wavelike quality created by the alternating long and short lines parallels the poem’s narrative thread.
The central extended metaphor of “crossing the bar” symbolizes traveling serenely and securely from life through death. The Pilot is a metaphor for God, whom the speaker hopes to meet face to face. Tennyson himself explained the symbolism:
“The Pilot has been on board all the while, but in the dark I have not seen him…[He is] that Divine and Unseen Who is always guiding us.”
“Ulysses”: The Dramatic Monologue
“Ulysses” is a blank verse poem written by Alfred Tennyson in 1833 and published in 1842. It is frequently cited in English literature to illustrate the structure of the dramatic monologue.
In the poem, Ulysses addresses an indefinite audience, expressing his discontent and restlessness upon returning to his kingdom, Ithaca, after concluding a series of distant journeys following the Trojan War. In the twilight of his life, Ulysses yearns to travel and explore again, despite being reunited with his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus.
Themes and Characterization
Readers often view Ulysses as a heroic and determined man, admired for his resolve: “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” Tennyson intended to create a heroic character, an idea based on his own statements about the poem and the events of his life—particularly the death of his closest friend, Arthur Hallam.
Upon returning home, Ulysses contrasts his current domestic life with his heroic past, expressing indifference toward the “savage race” he commands. He contemplates his advanced age and impending death, feeling that “One life over another would be entirely insufficient, and I have little left of the only one I have.” He remains eager for more experience and knowledge.
Ulysses acknowledges that his son, Telemachus, is set to inherit the throne. Although Ulysses assumes his son will be a capable king, he shows little empathy for him, stating: “He works his work, I mine.” He also notes Telemachus’s necessary administrative methods, such as ruling “with prudent patience” and learning “to take them slowly.” In the final section, Ulysses addresses his sailors, summoning them to join him on another adventure, seeking to recapture their heroic past regardless of the uncertain destiny that awaits them.
“In Memoriam A.H.H.”: Faith and Science
In Memoriam A.H.H. is a vast poem consisting of 131 sections of varying length, complete with a prologue and epilogue. Inspired by the profound grief Tennyson felt at the untimely death of his friend, Arthur Hallam, the poem addresses many intellectual issues of the Victorian Age.
The author searches for the meaning of life and death and attempts to come to terms with his sense of loss. Most notably, In Memoriam reflects the struggle to reconcile traditional religious faith and belief in immortality with the emerging theories of evolution and modern geology. The verses trace the development over three years of the poet’s acceptance and understanding of his friend’s death, concluding with an epilogue—a happy marriage song for the wedding of Tennyson’s sister, Cecilia.
“The Lady of Shalott” and Arthurian Legend
“The Lady of Shalott” is a ballad by Alfred Tennyson. Like his other Arthurian poems—such as “Lancelot,” “Queen Guinevere,” and “Galahad”—it focuses on the legends of King Arthur and is based on medieval sources. Tennyson wrote two versions of the poem: one published in 1833 (20 stanzas) and a revised version in 1842 (19 stanzas).
The poem draws inspiration from a 13th-century Italian novel entitled Donna di Scalotta. However, Tennyson focused heavily on the Lady’s isolation in the tower and her decision to participate in the living world—two elements not emphasized in the original Italian source.
Poem Structure and Narrative
Stanzas 1–4: The Pastoral Setting. These stanzas describe the pastoral environment. The Lady of Shalott lives in a castle on an island in a river that flows toward Camelot, though local farmers know little about her.
Stanzas 5–8: The Curse and Isolation. These stanzas describe the Lady’s life. She is bound by a mysterious curse, forcing her to continuously weave images without looking directly at the outside world. Instead, she looks into a mirror that reflects the busy road and the people of Camelot passing by her island. The reflected images are described as “shadows of the world,” a metaphor clarifying that they are a poor substitute for direct experience. She laments, “I am half-sick of shadows.”
Stanzas 9–12: Lord Lancelot. This section describes Lord Lancelot riding his horse and being seen by the Lady.
The Final Stanzas. Seeing Lancelot causes the Lady to break the curse. She stops weaving and looks out the window toward Camelot. She leaves her tower, finds a boat, writes her name upon it, and navigates downstream toward Camelot. She dies before arriving at the palace. Among the gentlemen and ladies who witness her arrival is Lancelot, who observes her beauty.
Tennyson’s Legacy and Style
Tennyson’s poetry is remarkable for its metrical variety, rich descriptive imagery, and exquisite verbal melodies. Beyond his technical skill, Tennyson was regarded as the preeminent spokesman for the educated middle-class Englishman, reflecting their moral and religious outlook, political and social consciousness, and matters of taste and sentiment.