This critical biography analyzes Tennyson's poetic development and his place in literature. It describes his influences, both classical and personal, and illuminates his working methods, for example: a constant revision of earlier material and an emphasis on oral rather than written poetry. Levi gives detailed textual criticism of some poems, but also shows acute psychological understanding of, for example, how Tennyson's famous friendship with Arthur Hallam affected his poetry over a long lifetime. Tennyson's relationships, often stormy but also affectionate, with other important figures of the Victorian era such as Gladstone, Carlyle and Queen Victoria herself, are vividly described, as are his attitudes towards other poets such as Wordsworth, whom he succeeded as Poet Laureate in 1850, and the same year that he married Emily Sellwood after an extraordinary 17-year engagement.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Edition: Main Market
Publisher: Papermac (Do Not Use)
Published: 25 Mar 1994
ISBN 10: 0333529952
ISBN 13: 9780333529959