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Enoch Arden and Other Poetry and Prose
Three Children Of Three Houses, Annie Lee, The Prettiest Little Damsel In The Port, And Philip Ray The Miller's Only Son, And Enoch Arden, A Rough Sailor's Lad.
- GenresPoetry
84 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1864
About the author
Alfred Tennyson
2,166 books1,457 followersWorks, 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 21, 2018
This Riverside Literature Series edition (#73) was the first collection of Tennyson's work in the Series, though he would be a favorite of theirs, with five volumes in all. That's the better part of 2% of the Series.
This volume contains a number of his long, ballad-like story poems, so the table of contents is rather short for the 100+ pages:
"Enoch Arden"
"The Day-Dream"
"Dora"
"The Talking Oak"
"Sea Dreams"
"Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington"
"Ulysses"
"The Charge of the Light Brigade"
"Lady Clare"
"The Death of the Old Year"
"Crossing the Bar"
What I discovered by reading this collection is that I am not much in sympathy with his melodramatic, contrived narratives; and that I found it mildly painful to read most of this collection. I do see why he was popular in his time, vending a sort of watered-down Shakespeare, suitable for an evening of family reading in the parlor. Still, I find most of it labored, thin, and tedious. Even the well-known "Light Brigade" and "Crossing the Bar" have some false notes for this reader.
The Wellington memorial poem, written in haste, seems over-long; but it has some deservedly nice bits in it. (I was amused that the American editor of this volume wanted the reader to ponder how many lines of the poem could just as easily apply to Lincoln.) The notes say that its first published version was much criticized, and that the version here was an extensive revision. I have put "comparing the original to the final version" on my To Do list.
Here, however, I come to "Ulysses" and take the opposite stand. Tennyson is writing a POV exercise, putting the listener in the mind of a classic figure from Homer; bringing him "up to date" a bit for the 19th-century reader. It works for me, front to back. In my later years, the lines "Old age hath yet his honor and his toil; / Death closes all: but something ere the end, / Some work of noble note may yet be done," are comforting and meaningful. I was pleased to be reminded.
This volume contains a number of his long, ballad-like story poems, so the table of contents is rather short for the 100+ pages:
"Enoch Arden"
"The Day-Dream"
"Dora"
"The Talking Oak"
"Sea Dreams"
"Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington"
"Ulysses"
"The Charge of the Light Brigade"
"Lady Clare"
"The Death of the Old Year"
"Crossing the Bar"
What I discovered by reading this collection is that I am not much in sympathy with his melodramatic, contrived narratives; and that I found it mildly painful to read most of this collection. I do see why he was popular in his time, vending a sort of watered-down Shakespeare, suitable for an evening of family reading in the parlor. Still, I find most of it labored, thin, and tedious. Even the well-known "Light Brigade" and "Crossing the Bar" have some false notes for this reader.
The Wellington memorial poem, written in haste, seems over-long; but it has some deservedly nice bits in it. (I was amused that the American editor of this volume wanted the reader to ponder how many lines of the poem could just as easily apply to Lincoln.) The notes say that its first published version was much criticized, and that the version here was an extensive revision. I have put "comparing the original to the final version" on my To Do list.
Here, however, I come to "Ulysses" and take the opposite stand. Tennyson is writing a POV exercise, putting the listener in the mind of a classic figure from Homer; bringing him "up to date" a bit for the 19th-century reader. It works for me, front to back. In my later years, the lines "Old age hath yet his honor and his toil; / Death closes all: but something ere the end, / Some work of noble note may yet be done," are comforting and meaningful. I was pleased to be reminded.
May 12, 2020
I’ve read very little of Tennyson’s work up until recently. I would say I enjoyed half of the poems in this collection and the other half were just okay. Enoch Arden, The Merman, The Mermaid, and The Lady of Shalott were among my favorites. I’ll definitely be rereading this collection in the future.
January 8, 2010
I just finished reading a few poems online by Tennyson and now I want to get one of his books. The poem "Enoch Arden" is based on the true story of a sailor who was thought drowned at sea and returned ten years later to find his wife married to another...you have to read this! It is so moving.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews