The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1892-10-07
BIOGRAPHICAL.

.There Is place called Somerby In Lincoln
shire where an old white rectory stands on
the slope of hill, and the winding lanes are
Swallowed by tall ash and elm trees, and
where two brooks meet at the bottom Of the
glebe field. > The wind that goes blow
ing where 1t lIsteth, once ir the early begin
ming of this century came sweeping through
the garden of this old Lincolnshire rectory,
and as the wind blew, sturdy child of years
old with shining locks stood opening his arms
upon the blast and letting himself be blown
along, and as he Travelled on he made his first
line of poetry, and said, ! hear Eoice that's
speaking In the wind, and he tossed his arms
and the gust wlir ed on, sweeping into the
great abyss OF Winds"
In such roetic fashion does Anne r. Ritchie,
in an article written half dozen years ago in
Harper's Magazine, refer to the poet laureate,
Alfred Tsnnyson, the germ Of fancy flashing
from within him at this tender age. II was at
this Somerby, where his father officiated as q
clergyman OF the Church Of England, that
Tennyson was Born In 1873.
II WAS quite natural that the dainty bits Of
English scenery should have been indelibly
impressed upon Tennyson's mind, and that
throughout long life devoted to the poetic
art he should have painted them in 50 many
charming word pictures
0Tennyson's first written poem was. II is said,
on the flowers in the garden, and the first
money he ever received for . poem was for an
efegy on his grandmother. The price for his
production was II shilings.
AtzJ he gained prize at Cambridge for q
poem called "Timbuctoo." With some trifling
exceptions he published nothing until he came
Of age, in lS3 when he got ont volume OF
Poems, Chiefly LYRICAL In 184S he pub
iisned volume Of poems, many OF which had
been published before, but several were added,
among them fhe since famous "Locksley
Hail." This. taken with such pieces as Mort
d'Arthur,r the May Queen and THE Two
Voices" stamped Tennyson as great poet
and from that time forward his fame steadily
increased.
Tennyson has been what might be called I
working poet. II there is one field in which
inspiration would seem to be especially -equi-
site. il is poetry: but Tennyson never relied
upon fits OF frenzy" He was accustomed i'd
go over and over Lis verses es-chxngina shap-
ing, polishing till he got them as near per.
lection rs work could maze them. Tennyson
has always declared that nothing is OF value
that is not grefuity done. But while he ac-
conaplished much by taking pains, his poems
show ratilsr p0 ished excellence than spontan-
. eous fervot.
During Tennyson's earlier days he professed
to be q Democrat This tendency h indicated
especially ia LADY Claiy We're de verss and
In .Locksley's Hhli.r But while the masses
Of the Eng .isil people were growing
demo- ratio Tennyson was driftinc
toward aritiocractic views. Either
he wRs not sincere in the first place or liz was
unable TO W.T. IA nd noblernat's D coronei
whenit was offered him. re accepted ths
honor, took his scat ia the house Of lords. but
assumed only the hnbiliments Of q place II,
the peerage without exercising its priviiecea
Lord Tennyson lived during the days when
be was doing hts t'est work In the Isle 81
Wight. 1T FarTinsford, just the counfrs
for the habiiAtion Of poet, and
tt was there thst he produced ssNaud. !,
A dozAn Years ago Tennyson made his
home at Al6morth. not far from London,
where henceforth he spent most Of his sffms
wifIr his wife. his children and llls Grand
/ children. Hei Il comfortable. happy fife,
passing GRACEFUL s,sto old aye AN old ACE
mellowed by d hotI2s ass port each day for din
ner and the AROMA of tobacco from his pipe
pf bo'h q which be hes been said to be Cd
peciAiFy ft,sst
sine Nss lsii.ass3,i devoted himself pr;n.
cipally ssIxln4 sicwos1s. They are plays
ratheKtO uc Ness s,.nn acted. Queen s.try
and 'INe Cu,s' were lrungat Nott Dy 14ears