Alfred, Lord Tennyson
by Marine Dupont, Julie Giglio, Elle Pullan, Daisy Crush

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) was a renowned Victorian poet known for his lyrical and reflective verse. Born in Somersby, Lincolnshire, he was the fourth of twelve children in a middle-class family. He developed a passion for poetry early on and published his first works while studying at Cambridge, where he formed a close friendship with Arthur Hallam. Hallam’s sudden death in 1833 deeply affected Tennyson and inspired his famous elegy, In Memoriam A.H.H. Despite personal struggles, he gained widespread recognition, exploring themes of nature, grief, and heroism. In 1850, he married Emily Sellwood, with whom he had two sons. Granted a peerage in 1884, he remained a dominant literary figure until his death in 1892 in Surrey. He was buried in Westminster Abbey’s Poets’ Corner.

As the son of a rector, Tennyson and his siblings’ education was highly valued, and his literary abilities were encouraged from childhood. At just six years old, he was sent to Louth Grammar School along with two of his brothers. He remained there until 1820, but due to the family’s financial difficulties, he stayed at home until college. During this time, his father provided him with a literary education. In 1827, Tennyson resumed formal schooling at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he joined the Apostles, an exclusive intellectual society. His college years were marked by deep friendships, particularly with Arthur Hallam, and academic success – winning the Chancellor’s Gold Medal in 1829 for his poem Timbuktu. However, following his father’s death in 1831, Tennyson had to leave Cambridge before completing his degree to support his family. Collective biography Known for being one of the last Romantic poets, Tennyson published over 100 poems over the course of his career. Tennyson’s first collection in 1827 titled “Poems by Two Brothers” was cowritten with his brothers Frederick and Charles, however the works are predominantly attributed to Alfred. His second collection, “Poems chiefly lyrical” (1830) were also intended to be collaborative, this time with Tennyson’s friend, Arthur Hallam. However, Hallam’s father refused, and the collection became solely Tennyson’s. In 1850, Tennyson was awarded the title of Poet Laureate and published his largest collection: “In Memoriam”. The Collection, 17 years in the making, was made to honour Hallam in his untimely death, a tribute to Tennyson’s dear friend and almost colleague.

In 1867, Tennyson commissioned his friend Sir James Knowles to build him a house in Surrey - Aldworth House near Haslemere. He spent the last twenty-five years of his life there, enjoying the peace of the Surrey countryside. The landscape influenced his later works, and he produced some of his finest writing at Aldworth, including Queen Mary: A Drama (1875) and The Foresters (1891). The house also became a meeting place for literary figures such as Robert Browning and Henry James. Even in later life he continued to travel between Aldworth and his other home, Farringford on the Isle of Wight. He died in Surrey on October 6th 1892, at the age of 83, leaving behind his wife and two sons.