"To open the complete works of Tennyson is to enter the Victorian age itself."
     --Philip Larkin

Tennyson may or may not be the greatest of the Victorian poets, but during his lifetime he was unquestionably one of the most popular. By mid-century he equalled Byron in popularity, and it is quite likely one could have found at least one volume of his works in the libraries of nearly every educated family in both England and America. His career spanned nearly the entire Victorian period, and

especially during its latter half, he lived, moved and had his being close to its spiritual centre, expressing in his verse all its inmost conflicts, its unexpressed assumptions, its half-certainties, its hopes and its daydreams. (Basil Willey, More Nineteenth-Century Studies, Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1956; rpt. 1980, 53)

An extraordinarily accurate observer of nature, Tennyson is "a representative nineteenth century sage caught between religion and science, faith and doubt; facing the newest discoveries of the the century, at once excited and disturbed by them" (Willey 53). We will use this notion of Tennyson as "Victorian Sage" as the focus of our readings, while, at the same time, trying to gain an appreciation of the sheer lyricality of some of his better-known works.

After reading the introductory section carefully, you may find it useful to read/review your selections online. A briefly annotated version of each of them, including a few illustrations, is available from the links below.

If you wish to view the annotations, simply move your mouse on and off the highlighted text. Do not click on it, or you will receive an error message.

• "Mariana"
• "The Lady of Shalott"
• "The Lotos-Eaters"
• "Ulysses"
• "Tithonus"
• "Break, break, break"
• "Locksley Hall"
• In Memoriam
• "The Charge of the Light Brigade"
• "Crossing the Bar"

^© Scott Foll 2000. All rights reserved.