The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-10-07
TENNYSON'S CAREER.
Began to Write Poetry When q Mere Boy
His Best.Known Works.

His Best-knOwn Works.
Alfred Tennyson was born Somersby.
Loncolnshire. England, in 1SO9 His father.
the Rev. George Clayton TennysoD, was
the rector of Somersby and vicar of Ben
nington and Crimsby, while his mother
was the daughter of the Rev. stephen
Fytche, vicar of Louth. He was the third
of family of twelve children. The talent
which gained for him the title of Poet
Laureate of England began to develop
itself in his early youth. for when eighteen
years old he. with his brother Charles. who
afterward became vicar of Grasby and as
snmed the name of Turner published
small volume entitled Poems by Two
Brothers" The poems attrac ted some at
tention, those signed "a. T." received the
highest praise. Colerldge decla ring that
they alone of the selections in the volume
gave hopeful promise of q coming poet.
The earlier training of Alfred and Charles
was assumed by the father. Later Alfred
was sent to Trinity College Cambridge.
where. In 1929. he was awarded the Chan
cellor's medal for the poem in blank verse
entitled "Timbuctoo." A year later he
published his first volume of poems,
Chiefly Lyrical."f mariana" wast the
only famous poem in this volume. but in a
revised and enlarged edition, issued in
1858, were found the "May Queen" the
Dream of Fair Women" "OenonsS and
others that are still we'll known. But this
volume attracted comparatively little at
tention, and nothing but fugitive bits from
his pen appeared until 1872 when he pub.
He preserved in this new volume all that
he cared to have live of his efforts In
earlier publications. and included in them
some of the works which gave him place
in the first rank Of living poets, notably
Hall" Isl. simeon's stylites" The Two
Voices,2 The Talking Oak" and Mort
d'Artnur." One of his next great efforts
was Tho Princess. a Medley" in blank
verso, with its theme the proper sphere of
women, published In 1S47.
In 1850 there appeared anonymously what
was probably the purest and truest poem
of that period. Tenny sons "In Memorlam."
series of 129 brief poems oil wrought to-
gether in grand pathetic tribute to the
memory of the poets college friend and
companion, Arthur Hallam, who died in
Vienna in 1888. Hallam was q son of
Hallam. the historian. and was engaged to
generally until many years later. For sew
enteen years Tennyson had borne the sacred
grief of his friends death, during which
time he composed the eleges contained in
the volume In MemOrlam."
Nov. 21, 1850, Tennyson was appointed
to the honorary place of Poet Laureate OF
England, succeeding Wordsworth. OF the
poems written in that capacity there have
been few that have been considered by
critics AS works which are to take rank
with others of his poems notably the "Ode
on the Death of the Duke of wellington"
and the charge of the Light Brigade at
Balaklava." Both of these were included
in his volume entitled Maud and Other
I;eha aI ,x,1 n,,Iu do
scribed as being 80 anomalous, both in
narrative treatment and metrical con-
struction. that critics and readers were
widely at variance concerning It," What
evoked over Maud" was lost sight of and
forgotten through the universally applaud
ed "Idyls of the King four stor-
les in blank verse. published in
ien.h Elaine" and "Genevieve." drawn
from the legends of King Arthur. Tenny-
son had begun In these q series of epic
poems, which he continued in various vol
umes of verse published during the next
fifteen years, entitled: in the order of their
qualifications: The Holy Grail" "Gareth
and Lynette," "Pelleas and Etarre," Tho
Last Tournament" and THE Passing of
Arthur" These works did not include all
his compositions for those years In 1894
to nearly the whole of Christendom,
"Enoch Arden" was published, along with
other COMPOSITIONS. including Tea Dreams
an Idylp which had been written original
ly for Macmillan's Magazine. and for which
Tenny son received fl0, or $50, lIne which,
up to that time. at least. was the greatest
sum ever paid q poet for one of his works.
"Enoch Arden" met with n wide populari-
ty, as much the result of the peculiarity OF
the plot from its literary merit"
Early IN his career he met with severe
criticism, particularly from Bulwer-Lyt-
ton. who wrote of him In the New Timon.
q publication of that day:
Let Scbool-Miss Alfred vent her chaste delight
In darling little rooms so warm and bright"
Chaunt I'm aweary in infectious strain
And catch the "bluefiy' singing l. the pane
Tennyson replied to this in versifed sar-
casm, which caust a cessation of hostili-
ties from that quarter. though he was Will
fed and adversely criticised for many
years.
Tennyson was always careless of his
dress, careless to o degree not far removed
from untidiness. He was 10 be met about
his house wearing a soft slouch hat. q suit
the worse for wear, long. struggling locks
and an untTimmed beard, while he W as
rarely without q short black pipe In his
mouth. Queer tales are told of his dis
agreeable manners, his churliness, his van
ity and his general ili-manners. The GREAT
iuR OF Tennyson a peer vas not conducive
to lowering his dignity and reducing his
vanity. he was created peer by Queen
Victoria early in 1884. in consideration of
his distinguished services. March IL of
that year he took his seat in the House OF
Lords.
Tennyson turned his attention toward
the dramatic art first in 1870, w hen be wrote
Tho window, or the Songs of the Wrens, v