Alfred Lord Tennyson

Alfred Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson was born on August 6, 1809, in England. He was the fourth child out of twelve children. Tennyson had two older brothers that attended grammar school with him in 1815. They were unhappy there and left in 1820. Although Alfred was young, he was a very mature boy. Before he reached his early teenage years, he had already composed many poems. As children, Tennyson and his siblings were raised with a great admiration for books and pieces of literature. Although they were raised with the ability to enjoy these things, Tennyson’s home life was not the best. His father was very abusive due to the use of alcohol and drugs. Even though his home life was not the best, Tennyson escaped through his poems. In 1827, Alfred began studying at Trinity College with his two older brothers. Two years later, Tennyson won the chancellor’s gold medal with his poem called Timbuctoo. In 1830, he released his first solo collection: Poems, Chiefly Lyrical. A year later, his father died, leaving the great debt on the family. This caused Tennyson to not get a degree, but he did not stay away from his poetry. At the end of 1832, he released a new volume that included “The Lotos-Eaters,” “The Palace of Art,” and “The Lady of Shalott.” Many critics attacked some this volume and it disturbed Tennyson. He continued writing and he even fixed some of his older works. In 1836, Tennyson fell in love with Emily Sellwood. They quickly became engaged, but in 1840 the engagement was broke off due to several reasons. In 1842, he released the two-volume work, Poems. This volume was a good foot forward for Tennyson, he was given many good reviews for these works. In 1847, his first long poem was published and titled, The Princess. The year 1850 was a turning point for Tennyson. He published his poem In Memoriam which was a great success. He also resumed his relationship with Emily, and later they got married. They had two sons named Hallam and Lionel. In 1854, he wrote his most famous piece The Charge of the Light Brigade. Through the years he wrote many more famous poems. In 1867, he bought some land and built a new home for his family on it. He wrote a few dramas that were performed, but they were never as popular as his poems. He accepted an offer to become a peerage, and that is where he got his title, Alfred, Lord Tennyson. In 1886, Lionel died from an illness. This made Tennyson write Demeter and Other Poems in which he addressed his loss. In October of 1892, Tennyson died in his Aldworth home. Citations: “Alfred, Lord Tennyson.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/alfred-tennyson. Robson, William Wallace. “Alfred, Lord Tennyson.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 15 Nov. 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Lord-Tennyson. “Alfred Tennyson.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 29 Feb. 2016, www.biography.com/people/alfred-tennyson-9504013.