Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1809 - 1892
Carbon print by Julia Margaret Cameron, 1869
Born: 6 August 1809, Somersby, Lincolnshire, England, UK
Died: 6 October 1892, Haslemere, Surrey, England, UK
Tennyson was born to a church rector. Although George Tennyson was the oldest son, the estate went to his brother Charles, so although the family was comfortable, the contrast with his uncle's castle left Alfred with a life-long fear of penury. He attended grammar school but was mostly home schooled before entering Trinity College, Cambridge. He was invited into a secret society there, the "Cambridge Apostles", whose members were close friends for life, and won the Chancellor's Gold Medal for one of his early pieces. He left Cambridge when his father died, the family was allowed to live in the rectory for six years. When his closest friend died, he wrote several significant poems, which were published but met heavy criticism which kept the shy Tennyson from publishing again for almost ten years. In 1942 he published two volumes of poetry which met with success, and in 1850 he was appointed Poet Laureate on the death of Wordsworth. Three years later, having just moved to the Isle of Wight, Prince Albert dropped in to express his admiration of the poet's work, after Albert's death Tennyson dedicated The Idylls of the King, his Arthurian epic, to Albert. Queen Victoria summoned him to court several times, in 1884 she created him Baron Tennyson, an honor that he had refused twice before when both Disraeli and Gladstone had made the attempt. Tennyson had been severely myopic throughout life, in later years he couldn't see well enough to eat without a monocle and had difficulty reading and writing. As a result, he tended to write entirely in his head before committing works to paper, and some of his work is known only because his listeners transcribed it. For those who prefer his rhythmic efforts in larger doses, we recommend The Charge of the Light Brigade.
Biography from Wikipedia and The Victorian Web
Additional quotes from Wikiquote. Wikiquote entries are often "sourced" and may include items longer than those included here, particularly for poets, lyricists, and dramatists.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson quotes:
Quotes found : 92 — (15 per page, this is page 1 of 7) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
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- 'Tis better to have loved and lost,
than never to have loved at all. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - In Memoriam A.H.H. (composed 1833 - 1849) - A day may sink or save a realm. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - A louse in the locks of literature. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - on critic Churton Collins - A second voice was at mine ear,
A little whisper silver-clear,
A murmur, "Be of better cheer". permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - The Two Voices (1834) - A young man will be wiser by and by;
An old man's wit may wander ere he die. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - "The Coming of Arthur" in Idylls of the King (1856 - 1885) - All the windy ways of men
Are but dust that rises up,
And is lightly laid again. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - "The Vision of Sin" (1842) - And statesmen at her council met
Who knew the seasons, when to take
Occasion by the hand, and make
The bounds of freedom wider yet. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - "To the Queen", Idylls of the King (composed 1833-1874) - Are God and Nature then at strife,
That Nature lends such evil dreams?
So careful of the type she seems,
So careless of the single life; permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - In Memoriam A.H.H. (composed 1833 - 1849) - As Love, if Love is perfect, casts out fear,
So Hate, if Hate is perfect, casts out fear. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - "Merlin and Vivien", Idylls of the King (composed 1833-1874) - Better not be at all than not be noble. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854) - Cleave ever to the sunnier side of doubt. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - The Ancient Sage, Tiresias, and Other Poems (1885) - Come friends, it's not too late to seek a newer world. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams? permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - Eternal process moving on,
From state to state the spirit walks;
And these are but the shatter'd stalks,
Or ruin'd chrysalis of one. permalink
Alfred, Lord Tennyson - In Memoriam A.H.H. (composed 1833 - 1849)
Quotes found : 92 — (15 per page, this is page 1 of 7) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
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