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Top 10 Facts about Alfred Lord Tennyson

Alfred, Lord Tennyson was born on August 6, 1809, in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England, and is one of the most well-known Victorian poets. Tennyson, the fourth of twelve children, demonstrated a talent for writing at a young age. He wrote a 6,000-line epic poem when he was twelve years old. Reverend George Tennyson, his father, tutored his sons in classical and modern languages. However, in the 1820s, Tennyson’s father began to suffer from frequent mental breakdowns, which were exacerbated by alcoholism. Despite his family’s descent into violence and alcoholism, this article will provide you with the best top 10 facts about Alfred Lord Tennyson. These include the poetry journey and reaching the top. We’ll start here.

1. He was the original ‘airy-fairy’ poet

First of two index pages to the illustrations of The Early Poems of Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
By Presumably John Churton Collins

Tennyson used the phrase ‘airy-fairy’ in one of his early poems, ‘Lilian,’ which is now used as a derogatory term for something light and insubstantial (1830). ‘Airy, fairy Lilian…’ begins the first line of ‘Lilian.’

The original meaning (‘now rare,’ according to the Oxford English Dictionary) was less pejorative: ‘having the ethereal qualities associated with a fairy,’ enchanting, and magical.

This original meaning, which was, of course, inspired by Tennyson’s poem, has given way to the phrase’s current meaning.

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2. Queen Victoria loved his work

By Alexander Bassano

Though Tennyson’s promotion to Poet Laureate following the death of William Wordsworth (which, by the way, finally gave him the financial stability to marry his long-time paramour Emily Sellwood) was largely the result of Prince William’s advocacy, the imperious regent did not overlook his work.

Tennyson was described as “unusual looking” and “oddly dressed” by Queen Victoria in her diary the first time the two met. On their second meeting, however, the Queen made a point of telling Tennyson how comforting his poem “In Memoriam A.H.H.” had been following the death of Prince Albert.

3. Part of the family heritage was a strain of epilepsy

A strain of epilepsy was passed down through the family, a disease thought to be caused by sexual excess and thus shameful.

One of Tennyson’s brothers spent most of his life in an insane asylum, another had recurrent bouts of drug addiction, a third had to be placed in a mental home due to his alcoholism, and another was intermittently confined and died young.

All of the remaining 11 children who reached adulthood had at least one severe mental breakdown. Alfred believed for the first half of his life that he had inherited epilepsy from his father and that it was the cause of the trances into which he occasionally fell until he was well over 40 years old.

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4. All his life he used writing as a way of taking his mind from his troubles

Alfred, like most of his talented siblings, began writing poetry to escape the unhappy environment of Somersby rectory long before he was sent to school.

He had always used writing to distract himself from his problems. One aspect of his composition method was also established while he was still a child: he would make up phrases or discrete lines as he walked and memorize them until he had a proper setting for them.

As his practice suggests, he was more concerned with rhythm and language than with discursive meaning.

5. His first volume of poetry was published while only 18

Poems by Two Brothers (1827), his first volume of poetry, was published when he was only 18 years old.

The majority of the book was written by Alfred Tennyson, but it also included poems by his two elder brothers, Frederick and Charles. It is a remarkable book for such a young poet, displaying great verification virtuosity and the prodigality of imagery that would mark his later works; but it is also derivative in its ideas, many of which came from his father’s library reading.

Although few copies were sold and only two brief reviews were written, its publication confirmed Tennyson’s determination to devote his life to poetry.

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6. Alfred’s early education was under his father

Tennyson received the majority of his early education from his father, though he spent nearly four unhappy years at a nearby grammar school.

His decision to join his elder brothers at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1827 was motivated more by a desire to get away from Somersby than by a desire to pursue serious academic work.

He was delighted to make new friends at Trinity; he was extraordinarily handsome, intelligent, humorous, and gifted at impersonation; and soon he was at the center of an admiring group of young men interested in poetry and conversation. It was most likely the happiest time of his life.

7. He met his best friend at Cambridge University

Entrance- Cambridge University

Probably more important than the poem’s success in the competition was Tennyson’s introduction to Arthur Henry Hallam, the Trinity undergraduate widely regarded as the most brilliant man of his Cambridge generation.

This marked the beginning of the two men’s four-year friendship, which was, in some ways, the most intense emotional experience of Tennyson’s life. In 1829, both Hallam and Tennyson joined the secret society known as the Apostles, a group of about a dozen undergraduates who were widely regarded as the university’s elite.

The affection and acceptance he felt from his friends gave Tennyson’s personality a new warmth, as well as an increasing sensuality to the poetry he was constantly writing when he was supposed to be devoting his time to his studies.

8. His best friend was a poet and they worked together

By Internet Archive Book Images

Hallam, too, wrote poetry, and the two friends intended to have their work published together; however, Hallam’s father, perhaps concerned about some lyrics Arthur had written to a young lady with whom he had been in love, forbade him from including his poems at the last minute.

Poems, Primarily Lyrical was published in June 1830. The quality of the poems in the volume is uneven, and it has the self-centered, introspective quality that one might expect of a 20-year-work; old’s but scattered among the other poems that would be forgotten if written by someone else are several fine ones such as “The Kraken,” “Ode to Memory,” and—most importantly—”Mariana,” which is the first of Tennyson’s works to demonstrate fully his brilliant use of rhyme. That poem alone would be sufficient to justify the entire collection. The reviews came in slowly, but they were mostly positive.

9. After a nine-year drought, Tennyson had his 1942 Poems published

Tennyson’s 1942 Poems were published after a nine-year drought. This was a huge success and was critically acclaimed, much to his delight.

This work established Tennyson as a popular poet and sparked a financial boom. With the publication of In Memorium, a long and meticulously constructed elegy in which Tennyson attempts to come to terms with his religious uncertainty and waning faith in humanity, Tennyson achieved his peak fame and financial security in 1850.

Tennyson received national recognition for this poem, which was composed in segments over a seventeen-year period. Because of his financial success, he was finally able to marry Emily Sellwood in 1850.

In 1850, he was named Poet Laureate, and he remained a popular and well-known figure for the rest of his life.

10. Alfred Tennyson died of Gout

Alfred Lord Tennyson died on October 6, 1892, at the age of 83. He had gout, which was getting worse in the late summer. Tennyson left his people in mourning at Aldworth’s home in Surrey, a tragic fact about Alfred Lord Tennyson. He was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey’s Poets’ Corner.

Although the Victorian era has passed and faded, the world remembers this leading Victorian poet. Today, Alfred Tennyson is a well-known poet who delved into eternal human questions and provided readers with a mix of inspiration and solace.

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In general, Tennyson is now regarded as an intellectually gifted man and an exceptionally gifted Victorian poet. Though some criticize his writing for a variety of reasons, his poetry is widely regarded as some of the best of its time. His constant struggle with religion, science and human progress exemplifies the atmosphere of Victorian poetry. He is regarded as one of the greatest poets of modern times and the most popular poet of the Victorian era.