“Alfred, Lord Tennyson” Introduction
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Break, Break, Break” is a short elegiac lyric written in 1835 and published in 1842. The poem expresses the poet’s deep sorrow over the death of his close friend Arthur Hallam. Through the image of waves breaking on the shore, Tennyson reflects on the pain of loss, the permanence of nature, and the transience of human life and happiness.
1. Lifespan, Birth/Death Details & Nationality
Full Name: Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson
Born: 6 August 1809, Somersby, Lincolnshire, England
Died: 6 October 1892, Aldworth, Surrey, England
Nationality: British (English)
2. Contemporaries (with impersonal Victorian poet; admired Tennyson’s lyrical gift, though his own style was more dramatic.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Celebrated poetess of the age; shared Tennyson’s moral seriousness in poetry.
Thomas Carlyle: Social critic and essayist; influenced Victorian thought; admired Tennyson’s earnestness.
Charles Dickens: Novelist of the same era; both reflected Victorian society in different genres.
William Gladstone: Friend and British Prime Minister; he admired Tennyson’s moral authority.
Arthur Henry Hallam: Closest friend and inspiration for In Memoriam A.H.H.; his death shaped much of Tennyson’s work.
3. Titles (All Known As) – Awards
Known As: “The National Poet of the Victorians,” “Poet Laureate of Britain,” “Voice of Victorian Morality”
Major
Appointed Poet Laureate in 1850, succeeding Wordsworth
Created Baron Tennyson of Aldworth and Freshwater in 1884 (one of the few poets in the British peerage)
Universally honoured in his lifetime — unlike Shelley, he was both celebrated and revered
4. Key Themes in His Works
Faith, doubt, and the crisis of religion in the Victorian age
Grief, loss, and memory (In Memoriam)
The passage of time and human mortality
Duty, heroism, and national pride (The Charge of the Light Brigade)
Nature is both be—personal, — personal, ideal, and spiritual
Victorian values of perseverance, honour, and moral responsibility
5. Family Back impersonal
Father: George Clayton Tennyson, clergyman of troubled health and temperament
Mother: Elizabeth Fytche Tennyson, from a well-connected family
Born into a large family (11 siblings), financial strain and father’s instability marked his early life
His brother Charles Tennyson Turner was also a poet
6. Education
Early schooling at Louth Grammar School
Entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1827
Won the Chancellor’s Gold Medal for poetry (1829)
Befriended Arthur Hallam, whose death became the basis of In Memoriam
Left Cambridge without a degree due to financial difficulties
7. Important Life Events
1830: Published Poems, Chiefly Lyrical (early recognition)
1833: Death of Arthur Hallam, his dearest friend — pivotal emotional turning point
1842: Publication of Poems established his reputation
1850: Married Emily Sellwood; became Poet Laureate; published In Memoriam A.H.H.
1854: Wrote The Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War
1874–1882: Published Idylls of the King, retelling Arthurian legends with Victorian moral tone
1884: Elevated to the peerage as Baron Tennyson
1892: Died; buried in Westminster Abbey’s Poets’ Corner
8. Criticism: [To him & him to others]
Tennyson on Society: Upheld moral duty, patriotism, and religious faith, but explored doubt and despair in private.
Critics of Tennyson (then):
Praised as the moral voice of the Victorian Age
Sometimes criticised for excessive melancholy or over-refinement
Modern Criticism:
Seen as both a representative Victorian poet and a deeply personal voice of grief and doubt
His balancing of faith and doubt resonates with modern readers
Some accuse him of conservatism, but others highlight his artistic mastery and depth of emotion
9. Other Important Points
Unlike Shelley, Tennyson was honoured in life, not just posthumously
Known for extraordinary technical mastery of English verse (meter, sound, rhythm)
His friendship with Hallam shaped his personal and poetic identity
Considered the most popular English poet of the 19th century
His burial in Westminster Abbey symbolised his national stature
His poems were often memorised and recited by Victorians as moral guides
10. One of His Most Famous Lines
“’Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all.”
(In Memoriam A.H.H., 1850)
11. All Works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson – Chronologically with Detail
12. Additional Notes
Married Emily Sellwood after a long engagement (financial delays).
In Memoriam became Queen Victoria’s favourite poem, consoling her after Prince Albert’s death.
His voice and recitations were recorded on a phonograph—among the first poets ever recorded.
His poetry combines Romantic lyricism with Victorian seriousness.
Master of blank verse, often compared with Milton.
13. Renowned Author Status
Universally regarded as the national poet of Victorian England
Celebrated for his command of language, musical verse, and emotional depth
Balanced private grief with public duty in his works
Legacy endures as a poet who gave voice to both personal sorrow and the moral conscience of his age.
Conclusion
Alfred, Lord Tennyson stands as the towering voice of the Victorian era—a poet who captured the heartbeat of an age torn between faith and doubt, progress and loss. His poetry blends emotional depth with flawless craftsmanship, transforming private grief into universal truth. From In Memoriam A.H.H. to The Charge of the Light Brigade, Tennyson’s works reflect courage, moral duty, and the eternal human struggle to find meaning in suffering. Honoured in life and immortalised in Westminster Abbey, Tennyson remains not just the “Poet Laureate of Britain,” but the poet of endurance—the one who taught generations that beauty, faith, and love can survive even the deepest despair.
