Alfred_Lord_Tennyson(1)

1、Introduction born Aug. 6, 1809, Somersby, Lincolnshire, Eng. died Oct. 6, 1892, Aldworth, Surrey English poet often regarded as the chief representative of the Victorian age in poetry. He was raised to the peerage in 1884.Introduction Alfred (Lord) Tennyson is buried in Poets Corner, Westminster Abb

2、ey, London, England.Burial Stone of Alfred Tennyson Tennyson Statue at Lincoln CathedralDesigned by George Frederick Watts.Early lifeTennyson born in Somersby, Lincolnshire, a rectors son and fourth of 12 children,derived from a middle-class line of Tennysons, but also had noble and royal ancestry.H

3、is father George Clayton Tennyson,a rector,the elder of two sonsHis grandfather the landowner George Tennyson,in favor of his younger son His mother Elizabeth Fytche,daughter of a rectorEarly lifeTennysonTwo of his elder brothersCharles Tennyson Turner Louisa SellwoodThe younger sister of Tennysons

4、future wife Education and first publication Cambridge At Cambridge Tennyson met Arthur Henry Hallam, who became his closest friend. His first publication was a collection of his boyish rhymes and those of his elder brother Charles entitled Poems by Two Brothers published in 1827.Early life and first

5、 publication In 1829 he was awarded the Chancellors Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his first pieces,“Timbuctoo“(延巴克图延巴克图).Reportedly, ”it was thought to be no slight honour for a young man of twenty to win the chancellors gold medal.”He published his first solo collection of poems, Poems Chiefly

6、 Lyrical in 1830. “Claribel” and “Mariana”（马里亚纳）（马里亚纳）, which later took their place among Tennysons most celebrated poems, were included in this volume. Although decried by some critics as overly sentimental, his verse soon proved popular and brought Tennyson to the attention of well-known writers

7、of the day, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge.Return to Lincolnshire and second publication In 1833, Tennyson published his second book of poetry, which included his well-known poem, The Lady of Shalott. The volume met heavy criticism, which so discouraged Tennyson that he did not publish again for

8、10 more years, although he continued to write. That same year, Hallam died suddenly and unexpectedly after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage while on vacation in Vienna. Hallams sudden and unexpected death in 1833 had a profound impact on Tennyson, and inspired several masterpieces, including In the

9、Valley of Cauteretz and In Memoriam A.H.H., a long poem detailing the Way of the Soul.Third publication In 1842, while living modestly in London, Tennyson published two volumes of Poems, They met with immediate success. Poems from this collection, such as Locksley Hall, “Tithonus”, and “Ulysses“(尤利西

10、斯尤利西斯) have met enduring fame. The Princess: A Medley, a satire of womens education, which came out in 1847, was also popular for its lyrics. W. S. Gilbert later adapted and parodied the piece twice: in The Princess (1870) and in Princess Ida (1884).Third publication It was in 1850 that Tennyson rea

11、ched the pinnacle of his career, finally publishing his masterpiece, In Memoriam A.H.H., dedicated to Hallam. Later the same year he was appointed Poet Laureate in succession to William Wordsworth. In the same year (13 June), Tennyson married Emily Sellwood, whom he had known since childhood, in the

12、 village of Shiplake. They had two sons, Hallam Tennyson (b. 11 August 1852) named after his friend and Lionel (b. 16 March 1854).Tennysons Marriage “And all at once a pleasant truth I learnd, For while the tender service made thee weep, I loved thee for the tear thou couldst not hide, And prest thy

13、 hand, and knew the press returnd, And thought, My life is sick of single sleepTennysons Marriage “Two lovers parted by no scurrilous tale - Mere want of gold - and still for twenty years Bound by the golden cord of their first love”. The Poet Laureate After William Wordsworths death in 1850, and Sa

14、muel Rogers refusal, Tennyson was appointed to the position of Poet Laureate, which he held until his own death in 1892, by far the longest tenure of any laureate before or since. In 1855, Tennyson produced one of his best known works, The Charge of the Light Brigade. Other esteemed works written in

15、 the post of Poet Laureate include Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington and Ode Sung at the Opening of the International Exhibition.The Illness and Death of Alfred Lord TennysonTennyson lived to a ripe old age, however, as did most of his siblings. His oldest brother Frederick lived to be 90,

16、his sister Cecilia lived to be 91, and his sister Matilda lasted the longest, living to be 97. Alfred, as noted, lived to be 83, dying two months after his birthday.Shortly after his 83rd birthday, Alfred began experiencing symptoms of gout and neuralgia. He had had health problems a few years befor

17、e, which had nearly ended his life then, and although he eventually recovered he was never the same for the last few years of his life. The last few weeks of his life were dim.Tennysons Last Words and Moments His last words have been reported as being different things: some say that it was “Bless yo

18、u, my joy” to his wife. Others report it as “Hallam, Hallam,” presumably to his elder son Hallam Tennyson, although it could have been a cry to his deceased friend Arthur Hallam.His last several hours of life were spent in a coma.183018311832Published his first volumeAppeared his second volume not w

19、ell received leave Cambridge The Millers Daughter（磨坊主的女儿） The May Queen（五月女王） He began his long series of idylls of English life.1836Went to live near London, for 10 years he published nothing1842Came forth with 2 volumes， 1847The Princess（公主） appearedAbout the high education of women 1850In Memoria

20、m（悼念） 1859-1885Idylls of the King（国王之歌）Death in 1892 His Major Poetical Works In Memoriam 悼念18331850 131 short poems the death of a friendArthur Henry Hallam relations between religion and science Idylls of the King 国王之歌国王之歌18501885 12 metrical talesKing Arthur and his Knightsof the Round Table His

21、Major Poetical WorksThe art of Tennysons poetry Tennyson used a wide range of subject matter, ranging from medieval legends to classical myths and from domestic situations to observations of nature, as source material for his poetry. The influence of John Keats and other Romantic poets published bef

22、ore and during his childhood is evident from the richness of his imagery and descriptive writing. He also handled rhythm masterfully. Tennysons use of the musical qualities of words to emphasize his rhythms and meanings is sensitive. Comment on Tennyson By the mid-19th century he had come to occupy

23、a position similar to that of Alexander Pope in the 18th. Tennyson was a consummate poetic artist, consolidating and refining the traditions bequeathed to him by his predecessors in the Romantic movementespecially Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats. Tennyson was also regarded as the preeminent spokesman f

24、or the educated middle-class Englishwomen, in moral and religious outlook and in political and social consciousness no less than in matters of taste and sentiment. Comment on Tennyson Tennyson is the representative poet of Victorian age. He has perfect control of the sound of English. His works are not only the products of the c