New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-06
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.

Alfred Tennyson, the first Baron Tennyson,
was born August 6, 1909, at the
rcctory of Somersty, quiet village of Lin
colnshire IIe was the fourth Of twelve children,
eight sons and four daughters. His ancestry is
described as a good one, and industrious
genealogists have traced his lineage back through
many noble names to King Edward l. Inc
celestial ichor became much attenuated, however,
in the course Of six hundred years, and three
generations ago it was running in the veins OF
Preston apothecary and Grimsby attorney
Michael and Ralph Tennyson, the great-grand-
father and great-granduncle of the poet Here tho
family began to mount ag1in George, the secohd
son of Michael, was gentleman Of position in Linz
colnshirc, member of Parliament and Deputy
Lieutenant of the county His eldest
son the Rev. Dr. George Clayton,
the father Of Alfred. was rector OF SOM
ersby, a man of fine education, accomplished in
noetry. painting, music and languages, as well as
in more serious studies. lie married Elizabeth,
daughter of the Rev. Stephen Flytche, vicar OF
Louth From his father Alfred received his early
education, including an intimacy with out-of-door
nature, and practice in verse-maklng. Laer nc
was sent with his elder brother Charles 70
grammar school at Louth. Charles, who entered
the Church. and in 1888 took his grandmother
family name, ol inhcriting d'me property
being known thereafter as Charles Kenny
son-Turner was thought at first to have more
decided pcctcal gift than Alfred; and when the
boys published anonymously in 1927 small
volume Of Poems by Two Brothers, authorizes
so high as Colcridgc and Wordsworth gave the
preference to the contributions OF Charles After
ward both authors were content to let these
boyish attempts drop out Of sight, ana 'hose
who read them in late years for OF course IN
scrupulous publishers dug them up and printed
them without leavc, doubtless agreed that 1t
was not wise to revive them. A crude ana un-
finished story in blank verse; called The Lovers
Tale" written by Alfred in his nineteenth year,
was pirated, although the author had withdrawn
i, from the press before publication For this
reason he completed it in mature iife and included
il with a few other condemned iuveIiIa in the
collected edition Of 1884.
WINNING THE CHANcELLoR's PRIZE AT CAM
BRIDGE.
In 1929 Alfred entered Trinity College, Cam
bridge, where his tutor was Whcweil and his
comrades included Thackeray Mines lLord
Houghton) Speeding, Trench, Afford, kemoe
and Kingla.e He took the Chancellor's prize
there us29) for poem on given SUBJECT
Timbuctoo'-and he seems to have been looked
npon by all who knew him a scholar Of rare
Der of years after leaving the University he led
nm extremely quiet and meditative life,
avoiding society, but enjoying the occasional
visits of few intimate friends, among whom Ar
thur Hallam, the son of the historian, was the
dearest and the most brilliant. The Rev. George
CLAYTON Tennyson died In 1885, and after that
event Alfred removed with his mother twho died
in 1869 to Hampstead near London, although he
also had rooms in town. where he associated with
CARLYLE, Thackeray and other men of letters.
great deal Of his time spent in solitary
country rambles He talked with farmers and
laborcrs, frequented rustic inns wandered over
the south counties with some favorite book in
his pocket storing up that knowledge OF human
nature ard that exact acquaintance with land
scape, sea, Clouds sn,'shipe, Bird tree and flower
which stamp his poetry with the deep mark OF
truth.
Before he left the university he published his
first avowed volume q little collection of Poems
Chiefly lyrical" London, 500, in which we find
the earliest hint of his quality-hardly more than
n promise Of genius but sign Of the direction
toward which his special gift WAS impeding him
One of the pieces IN this volume, RecOllectons
of the Arabian Nights still remains popular
favoritc notwithsta ndng that the author so soon
ard so far surpassed II. Another The Deserted
House" has mysterious suggestivcncss and
strange haunting music which have not yet lost
their charm The Characteristic poems OF this
venture, however, were the figure pieces Chri-
bel. Lillian Mariana" Isabel Madeline"
"Adeline" and Oriana,' which the dllcttante
once studied with delight, although the critic OF
to-day is not disposed 10 rate them higher than
nice fancy portraits Tame calls them keepsake
characters from the hand Of lover and an artist
II is a clever comparison, for they do recall the
delicate, refined correct, swcetly irreproachable
plates in the old-time parlor ANIMALS meant lor
the te nder white hands OF a young BRIDE or a
girl But one may easily disparage them 700
much. They had no deep meaning; yet they oe-
trayed q new touch. sense of the music OF verse
which no Englishman then living could approach
The freshness and beauty Of the Poems were at
once recognized and when a second collection al'-
peared two years later 1892 the young singer
was already hailed rs master In 'he short IN
terval between bis first and second volumes he ma
taken O great stride forward. lie had gained
strength, clearness, originality and felicity. Ills
melody had become irresistible His art had reached
the exquisite polish which from that time forth
was the fascination and despair Of great school
Of Disciples How varied were his powers, how
wide the realms of study and fancy from which he
drew his themes may be judged from the con-
tents of this book Of 1882. Here we had the
glamour Of romance in "1he Lady Of Shalott"
blsso 81 the weird and terrible In The Sisters
the beautr Of classic legend in "Oenone' an I'M
pressive strain OF reflection in The LotusEaters'
and The PAlncc OF Art" patriotic and philoso-
phical thought in "You Ask Me Why "Of Old
Sat Freedom and Love Thou the Land and
wonderful ilyTrc charm in The Mlers
Daughter and The May Queen which gave
Tennyson o most powerful hold upon the hearts
Of the people. "she Quarterly Review attacked