The morning call., 1892-10-06
LORD TENNYSoN.

1t does not often happen that man oecu-
pies public attention for so long period as
sixty years; but that is what happened 80
Alfred Iennyson. poet laureate of Eng
land, who is now lying on his deathbed.
He was born in 1909, two years later than
Longfellow and Whittier; his first poems
were published in 1880. and the eulogium on
his countrymen, which was embodied in
the "FOresters" are no men Ike
Englishmen'-wa written in 1891. For
eleven years over a half century, lovers OF
poetry hung on his words Poets are no.
toriouslv Iong-liyed. But no poet ever en-
loved so long a career as Tennyson, or pre-
served his faculties to so ripe an old age.
His mind was as clear and vigorous at SO as
it was in his youth.
He was the greatest master of Saxon
Eoglish that the world has known. He
possessed the rare faculty of expressing his
thoughts on every subject in terse mono
syllable phrase. Whole pages of Tennyson
may in vain be ranSacked for a Latin word.
He felt that everything could be said in
Saxon, and said more vigorously than in the
words which have been borrowed from the
classic tongues. To abandon the use of
one-third of the words in the English
vocabulary involved an unusual reliance
upon the other two-thirds, and knowledge
Of Saxon roots which required a searching
study. Tennyson gave the task ali the
time it demanded, aud at the time of his
death he probably knew the language OF
Chaucer and of the Canterbury Tales
better than any other man in England.
1t may be observed that the works upon
which his fame will chiefly rest were written
hot h., al lou
| Hall" and the "May Queen" appeared in
1912. I'm Memoriam" in 1850. MAUD" in
1855. the "Idylls of the King in 1865, and
| the Holy Grail" in 1869. Longfellow wrote
| the 'Skeleton in Armor" at 81, and Evan
! geline" at 20; after that age his poetic effu-
sions were Of less value. Few poets retain
| the divine afflatus after the beginning Of
middle age. The world has not yet agreed
| with Gresset in the dietum that no sane
| man writes poetry after 80; but few of the
| great poets except TennYson have added to
their fame after 30, though Dryden wrote
| the lode on st. Cecilia's Day"-unauest ton
| ably his masterpieee-at &c.
In an early poem on "The Poet" Tenny-
| son described his mission as that OF one who
was gifted with extraordinary genius in
| order that he should educate the world. II
! that be really the bard's function, Tennyson
! did not fuIfn it. He was singularly devoid
| Of judgment in public affairs. Notwith-
standing his liberal philosophy in We're de
Yere," lie was a Tory all through his life.
MAUD" was published at the outbreak Of
the Crimean War. 1t contains staDzas
which breathe the spiIit of Castlereagh. and
are worthy to have been written by Camp
bell. Allied by birth to the county families
of England, he never shook off his early
prepossessions, nor did he ever rise TO the
height of sympathy with the British people.
Even at the close of his life he chose as the
type of the British hero an outlaw and a
highwayman. His long series Of poems on
The Saxon kings is panegyIie on heredi-
taTy rapine and blood. There is not line
in his poetry to show that he ever felt a
spark Of fellOw-feeling for the great mass
of his countrymen.
When Wordsworth died Tennyson became
poetlaureate aud held the Office for forty-two
years. 1t is mere title of honor, the salary
attached being nominal. He proved his
claim TO the distinction by fine poem on
the death of the Duke of Wellington,
though LongfellOW's stanzas on the same
topic are a higher work of art. His death
viii prove source of embarrassment to the
Ministry. The most popular candidate for
succession Is Algernon SwinbuTne. but the
Queen long ago allowed it TO be known that
certain youthful poems Of Swinburne's
would bar bis path to the appointment.
The next rhymester in line Of promotion is
Edwin Arnold, and his friends have felt
| confident that he would win the prize. II
| remains to be seen whether the recent at.
| tacks Of the missionaries on his character
viii not defeat him. The Office might as
| well be abolished