Tennyson's poetry; authoritative texts, juvenilia and early responses, criticism

by Alfred Tennyson

The Norton Critical Edition of Tennyson's Poetry, Second Edition, represents a significant revision of its predecessor and assimilates the Tennyson scholarship of the last twenty-five years. The texts of the poems are based on the Eversley edition of Tennyson's Works (published in nine volumes, 1907-09). Under earlier interdiction, the significant Trinity College, Cambridge, manuscripts have been incorporated here. The poems are organized chronologically, from "Unpublished Early Poems" and "The Devil and the Lady" through "Poems" (1872-92). "The Princess" appears in its entirety. Each poem is accompanied by ample explanatory annotation. 'Contexts" includes early assessments of Tennyson and his poetry by Arthur Henry Hallam, John Wilson, John Wilson Croker, John Stuart Mill, John Sterling, James Spedding, and James Knowles. "Criticism" collects seven seminal essays-six of them new to the Second Edition-on both Tennyson and the major poems. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, I S. Eliot, Isobel Armstrong, Herbert F. Tucker, Christopher Ricks, Gertrude Himmelfarb, and Robert W Hill, Jr., present their varied perspectives. A Chronology, Selected Bibliography, and Index are also included.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Literature, Fiction, 19th Century, British Literature, Victorian

684 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1833

About the author

Works, including In Memoriam in 1850 and "The Charge of the Light Brigade" in 1854, of Alfred Tennyson, first baron, known as lord, appointed British poet laureate in 1850, reflect Victorian sentiments and aesthetics.

Elizabeth Tennyson, wife, bore Alfred Tennyson, the fourth of twelve children, to George Tennyson, clergyman; he inevitably wrote his books. In 1816, parents sent Tennyson was sent to grammar school of Louth.

Alfred Tennyson disliked school so intensely that from 1820, home educated him. At the age of 18 years in 1827, Alfred joined his two brothers at Trinity College, Cambridge and with Charles Tennyson, his brother, published Poems by Two Brothers , his book, in the same year.

Alfred Tennyson published Poems Chiefly Lyrical , his second book, in 1830. In 1833, Arthur Henry Hallam, best friend of Tennyson, engaged to wed his sister, died, and thus inspired some best Ulysses and the Passing of Arthur .

Following William Wordsworth, Alfred Tennyson in 1850 married Emily Sellwood Tenyson, his childhood friend. She bore Hallam Tennyson in 1852 and Lionel Tennyson in 1854, two years later.

Alfred Tennyson continued throughout his life and in the 1870s also to write a number of plays.

In 1884, the queen raised Alfred Tennyson, a great favorite of Albert, prince, thereafter to the peerage of Aldworth. She granted such a high rank for solely literary distinction to this only Englishman.

Alfred Tennyson died at the age of 83 years, and people buried his body in abbey of Westminster.

Reviews

[Sanjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it okay to admit that some of the poetry was difficult to understand?

But that doesn't make me as a reader fall in love with the lyrical beauty of all his words!

Love love love this book.

I am no poetry critic, so I don't have anything valuable to add in my review, except that go read this book if you appreciate poetry.

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly phenomenal, evocative poetry full of imagery and a feeling of timelessness.

[Divya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tennyson,most representative poet of victorian age expresses the middle class through his poetry. Along with discipline & form, a sense of romantic values & lyricism are the special features of tennyson's poetry. Its beautiful!!!!

[Cassandra Kay Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Tennyson lacks in concise language he makes up for in the beauty of these lyrical verses. The subject matters that this author chooses are all things that if I were to write poetry I would also choose. Gallantry and Chivarly of Knights and Princesses. King Arthur and his court. References to Greek Mythology and a constant fascination with death.

[Dreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

School text that I rather enjoyed..
We cannot be kind to each other here for even an hour. We whisper, and hint, and chuckle and grin at our brother's shame; however you take it we men are a little breed.
- Alfred Lord Tennyson

[P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite all his sentiments & psychotic ideals, Tennyson is amazing. He inspires me to the deepest, and I think I'll go on to love him forever

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alfred Tennyson is, after Shakespeare and Chaucer, one of the most skilled craftsmen in the English language. He has a way of spinning beautifully memorable lines, such as these from Tithonus:

“Far-folded mists, and gleaming halls of morn.”

And …

“.... Arise
And shake the darkness from their loosened manes,
And beat the twilight into flakes of fire.”

As an avid reader of narrative and dramatic poetry, it’s no surprise that Tennyson is one of my favorite authors. He’s written many memorable poems such as Ulysses, Tithonus, The Holy Grail, St. Simeon Stylites, The Lotos Eaters and Morte d’Arthur. (Parts of In Memoriam are also outstanding.) On the reputation of these works alone, he stands among the greatest English poets.

The Norton Critical Edition is an excellent collection of Tennyson’s poems, with helpful footnotes throughout. It does a good job of selecting his best works, and culling the dross. I recommend the poems mentioned above. His epic, Idylls of the King, is an interesting failure.

Love or hate poetry, I recommend Tennyson. This book is an excellent starting point.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently working through "In Memoriam A.H.H." which is as great a poem as everyone in the world, from T.S. Eliot onwards, thinks.

[rilkean heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

all in all it was beautifully written, and i was moved many times, especially when reading in memoriam and the mono drama about maud, i love the way tennyson talks about love, mortality, grief, nature, and nostalgia. but i’ve been bored at times too, hence only 4 stars instead of 5, my dude rambled so much about queens and kings (especially arthur pendragon lmao)

[Fabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of: Wherefore, let thy voice,
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.”

[Everyone Poops · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know people might want to throw rocks at me for asking, but am I alone in thinking Tennyson's poetry is mostly just an exercise in belletrism with little else to offer?

I'm fond of most other major Victorian poets (especially Browning and Rosetti), but Tennyson's work is a real thorn in my side. It's kind of like when I wash my white laundry. All the bright shiny stuff is made of up other Victorian poets. But Tennyson is the gross, almost-brown towel that I cleaned up puke and cat pee with.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard for a soldier to not love The Charge of the Light Brigade. I love The Eagle, simple and elegant. The Kracken is great as well. I tend to fall with the critics who aren't fans of the Idylls of the King, but some portions are compelling.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily my favorite Victorian poet. Christina Rossetti follows somewhere behind. This volume includes "Idylls of the King," "In Memoriam," "The Lady of Shallot," most others.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only read some of his poems but they are fantastic beyond all expectations

[Albie]

Tennyson's Poetry: Authoritative Texts, Contexts, Criticism (Norton Critical Editions) by Alfred Tennyson Tennyson, Baron (1999)

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She took the dappled partridge flecked with blood,"

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend Odysseus, The Lady of Shalott, and Crossing the Bar.

[Alexis Hall]

Tennyson, like his poetry, went on forever.

I am pretty fond of Tithonus though.

[Mii · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read!

[Sissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

a classic and an impressing statue in Lincoln, UK.

[Fred Dameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can one say, It's Tennyson.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

poems, songs and great writing.Alfred Tennyson is a classic writer I think all should read.

[Errol Cavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tennyson is best known for the Charge of the Light Brigade and remembered for little else. But there is wealth of beauty to be found in these poems and plays. Ulysses, of course, is sublimely beautiful, but the great, great work which repays countless re-reading is In Memoriam, his lament for his dead friend, and his expression of undying grief. One of the great poetic works of English literature.
In addition, I should recommend that anyone interested in finding out more should listen to Melvyn Bragg's In Our Time programme on this poem. It is one of the best, since the poem obviously got to Bragg in a major way, a reflection no doubt of his continuing sorrow for the suicide of his own wife mnay years ago.

One other gem to discover (but not in this edition) is Beckett in the collected plays. Would that someone would put on a double bill with this and T.S.Eliott's Murder in the Cathedral.

As with all Norton editions this includes an excellent introduction and many essays.

[Pattipeg Harjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t read every single poem, but picked and chose. My favorites include Charge of the Light Brigade, known to every high school student, The Lady of Shalott (I have Opinions about this poem that don’t appear to agree with any other opinion), and Vastness, very apropos of today’s political environment. And Northern Farmer (both Old Style and New Style) are a joy to read. But my absolute favorite is Rizpah. It is impossible for any mother to read this poem without sobbing her eyes out. However, too many of the poems are gloomy, and many are written without his knowing what he’s talking about (e.g. poems about the misery of old age written when he was young). Overall, an excellent collection covering selections from his works.

[Alya Rekha · Rating 5 out of 5]

"They never learnt to love who never knew to weep."

This line comes from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's early poem titled Love and Sorrow (published in Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, 1830).

Meaning of the Quote:
The quote implies that real love and real sorrow are inseparable. To experience deep love, one must also be willing to experience the pain of loss or sorrow. In the context of the poem, it suggests that only through experiencing emotional suffering (weeping) can a person truly understand the depth of love.

Tis better to have loved...": A similar, more famous sentiment from Tennyson is found in his long elegy, In Memoriam A.H.H. (1850), where he writes: "’Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all".

[Spencer Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

What know we greater than the soul?
On God and Godlike men we build our trust.
Hush, the Dead March wails in the people’s ears;
The dark crowd moves, and there are sobs and tears;
The black earth yawns; the mortal disappears;
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
He is gone who seem’d so great.—
Gone, but nothing can bereave him
Of the force he made his own
Being here, and we believe him
Something far advanced in State,
And that he wears a truer crown
Than any wreath that man can weave him.
Speak no more of his renown,
Lay your earthly fancies down,
And in the vast cathedral leave him,
God accept him, Christ receive him

[Dylan]

Fiiiiiiiinally done with this one, almost a whole year (though broken up by several check out-renew-renew-return cycles at the library). Tennyson is spotty for me. At the word by word level, his poetry is often beautiful and fun to read–he is good at writing stuff that sounds good. However, probably over half of the poems didn't really work with me, the big exception being "In Memoriam," which is an incredible achievement.

Also gonna count this as the 6th fat classic of 2023, it definitely took the longest to read.

[Sanuli Fernando · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poetry isn't my thing, which is why I rated this book as low as I did. This book was filled with amazing poetry, which I'm sure poetry lovers would enjoy, but I just did not like reading it. Though I liked poem 84, the diction was interesting. An example from poem 84 is when he writes, "I see thee sitting crown’d with good,/ A central warmth diffusing bliss" (pg 252). I really liked these verses, it stood out to me and was what caught my attention out of the book as a whole. I think his poems are meaningful, but they just weren't something I would engross myself in. I would recommend this book to people who love poetry very much, otherwise I wouldn't to people who aren't big fans of poetry. It definitely is for an older audience since the diction is harder to understand.

[Letitia · Rating 4 out of 5]

How anyone can read "In Memoriam" to his friend Hallam, and think this man was not queer I have no idea. Such deep, beautiful love. Such gripping, torturous grief. I have friends, and then I have the love of my life, and this is the eulogy I would write for my romantic partner.

I love most of Tennyson's work, and appreciate the variety of styles and cadences he moves between. I get lost in some of his more referential works, but it's clear why he's one of the greats.

[Theresa Leone Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read Tennyson's work more than thirty years ago, I admit I was not impressed; reading him now, his work definitely speaks more to me than it did then, and while I still would not characterize him as a favorite, I did enjoy reading the selections in this book. I would very much recommend!