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REMEMBERING TENNYSON
dressed, but there is no affectation about him. I told him how much I admired his glorious lines to my precious Albert and how much comfort I found in his ‘In Memoriam.’” “He was full of unbounded appreciation of beloved Albert. When he spoke of my own loss, and of that to the nation, his eyes quite filled with tears.” Tennyson’s empathy for the Queen’s grief was drawn from the loss of his most important friend, fellow writer and travel companion, Arthur Henry Hallam in 1833. A devastated Tennyson wrote In Memorium A.H.H for Arthur, which was published in 1850. Upon Albert’s death, Tennyson was asked by Princess Alice to write something that would soothe her mother’s grief, and the poet subsequently wrote the prologue of Idylls dedicating it to Prince Albert, comparing him to Arthur and again drawing parallels between Medieval and Victorian society. Several further meetings took place between Tennyson and Queen Victoria, and having discussed the lack of availability of German poetry, the Queen arranged for a specially bound volume to be sent to Tennyson from Europe. The Queen also offered him a baronetcy four times – in 1865, 1873, 1874 and 1880. He finally accepted in 1883, this persistence indicating the Queen’s continuing fondness for the poet. By this time Tennyson’s role as poet laureate made him a public voice, and today his work is considered high culture in nature. But during the mid-19th century, he also had an avid following among the working classes, and would be ambushed by admiring miners, for example, keen to praise the social commentary that featured in his work. On one occasion, a radical working as a weaver was speaking with the author Elizabeth Gaskell and remarked how much she admired the poet’s work but couldn’t afford a volume of her own. Gaskell wrote to Tennyson who arranged for a copy of his 1842 volume to be sent to her. “Dickens is a good parallel,” says Dr Jim.
A Taste of TENNYSON DR JIM CHESHIRE ON FIVE OF TENNYSON’S GREATEST POEMS
Ulysses: Written in 1833 and published in 1842 in Tennyson’s second book of poetry, following Ulysses’ return to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Tennyson worked on the poem shortly after the death of Arthur Henry Hallum and once stated: “There is more about myself in Ulysses, which was written under the sense of loss and that all had gone by, but that still life must be fought out to the end. It was more written with the feeling of his loss upon me than many poems in In Memoriam.” Crossing the Bar: A later Tennyson poem, written in 1889, using the Isle of Wight sandbar as a metaphor for what occurs after death. The Lady of Shalott: Inspired by the legend of Elaine of Astolat, a lyrical ballad of 19/20 stanzas. Morte D'Arthur: Integrated into Idylls of the King, with Bedivere tending to the dying king and disposing of Excalibur. In Memoriam A.H.H.: Published in 1850 and an elegy for his Cambridge friend Arthur Henry Hallam. The full text runs to 2,916 lines and was of great comfort to Queen Victoria upon the loss of Prince Albert. Arthur died in 1833, and a grief-stricken Alfred left Cambridge University, published his second collection of poems then finally published Memoriam 22 years later, marrying his childhood sweetheart Emily Sellwood and taking her suggestion as the title of the poem.
“His political sympathies ranged from liberal to reactionary. He was also tall and was considered handsome, but he was private too, and tended to run away from crowds.” “He was also proud of his heritage despite a turbulent childhood. Tennyson was born in August 1809 in Somersby to Rev George and Elizabeth Tennyson.” “His father’s mental health was unstable and his childhood was under an ever-present threat of violence. He was close to his brothers, especially his older brother Charles. The two wrote Poems by Two Brothers, published by a Louth printer in 1827.” Some of Tennyson’s work even featured Lincolnshire dialect e.g.: in – The Northern Farmer, Old Style – but any trace of an accent was lost when in 1890 the poet’s own voice was recorded onto a wax cylinder reciting Charge of the Light Brigade. The Victorian era was one of innovation and as well as voice recording, glass plate photography was pioneered from the mid to late 19th century, enabling photographs of Tennyson to be taken such as Julia Margaret Cameron’s 1866 albumen silver print of the poet produced from a glass negative. Works like this have now been digitised and are held by the Society for future generations. It’s exactly this kind of material which enables The Tennyson Society to maintain interest in the poet’s legacy. Dr Jim is currently introducing KS3 school pupils to the poet, and Tennyson’s work has also featured in the University of Lincoln’s English Literature undergraduate programme and in the University’s masters module, Romantic Legacies. “The Tennyson Society, the Lincolnshire Archives and the University all have a collaborative working relationship,” he says. “Together, and through exhibitions like Idylls, as well as our AGM with its featured lecturer, our online Tennyson Talks, and the society’s new website, we aim to promote the enjoyment and study of Tennyson’s work for many generations to come!” n
Find Out More: Idylls of the King is a depiction by Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale of two scenes from Tennyson’s epic poem, showing Merlin & Vivien and Enid & Geraint. The illustrations are on display in The David Ross Magna Carta vault of Lincoln Castle until 31st March 2023: see www.lincolncastle.com. Dr Jim Cheshire is Associate Professor within the University of Lincoln’s School of Humanities and Heritage, whose research interests include Victorian medievalism and the work of Tennyson. He’s also Honorary Secretary of the Tennyson Society, based at the Lincolnshire Archives, see www.tennysonsociety.com for more information. The Tennyson Society Weekend 2023 will take place in Hastings 19th-22nd May, there will be talks and visits based on Tennysonian and other literary themes, please contact Excursions Secretary, Lynne Carroll for details: lynnecarroll@btinternet.com.
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