Alfred lord tennyson biography information worksheet

The English poet, Alfred Tennyson was one of the greatest poets of the Victorian Era. He was a laureate of Queen Victoria’s court and served as one of the royal poets till his death in 1892. His poetic skills appeared when he was quite young. His work started to draw attention in 1827 and eventually became a great poet with his remarkable creations. The population of England acclaimed his work as a marvel of literature and he secured his position in the Royal Court of England.

His creation ‘In Memoriam’ published in 1850 brought him a huge reputation. His poem ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ is still considered as the gem of the world of English Poems. This Alfred Tennyson biography will depict his early life, famous poems, and career.

Alfred Tennyson: His Life and Family

Alfred Tennyson was born in Somersby, England on 6th August 1809. He was one of the 11 siblings. He was the 3rd child of his parents and grew up with 6 brothers and 4 sisters. His father was a rector in a church in Somersby and had a decent income. It was not enough to feed all the mouths in the family. This is why he was unable to attend proper schooling. He was enrolled in Louth Grammar School just for a few years. These few years were not a good time for him as he was bullied. Despite the hardship, his further education was supervised by his father who was well-literate at that time.

His pre-university education was completed at home under his father’s supervision. His father grew the habit of reading books with his siblings. At the age of 8 years, he started to create his poems showing his talent. His home was not a good environment to groom him. His father did not get a penny of inheritance as Alfred’s grandparents favoured their younger child. This resulted in a lot of family issues. In fact, his father was an alcoholic and a drug abuser causing a physical altercation with the other family members.

As per Alfred Lord Tennyson biography, he published his poetry in 1827 with the title

Alfred Tennyson was an English poet who wrote famous works like In Memoriam, Charge of the Light Brigade, and Idylls of the King. He was Queen Victoria’s poet laureate and probably the most renowned poet of the era. In 1883, he accepted the proposal of a peerage, earning him the title Baron Tennyson of Aldworth and Freshwater or Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

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Key Facts & Information

Early Life

• On August 6, 1809, Alfred Tennyson was born in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England. He was one of 12 children of George Clayton Tennyson, a church rector, and Elizabeth Fytche, daughter of a vicar.
• In 1816, he attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Louth until 1820. From then, young Alfred was homeschooled by his well-read father.
• In 1827, Tennyson entered Trinity College in Cambridge along with his two older brothers. That same year, Tennyson’s brothers published their first poetry entitled Poems by Two Brothers. While in Trinity, Tennyson joined a secret society of intellectuals called the Cambridge Apostles. He met Arthur Henry Hallam and William Henry Brookfield who became his closest friends.
• Tennyson did not finish his degree after the death of his father in 1831.
• In 1836, Tennyson fell in love with Emily Shellwood, his brother’s sister-in-law. The two were engaged but later called it off because of Tennyson’s presumed illness. B

British Poet Laureate (1809–1892)

"Tennyson" and "Lord Tennyson" redirect here. For other uses, see Tennyson (disambiguation) and Baron Tennyson.

Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron TennysonFRS (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his first pieces, "Timbuktu". He published his first solo collection of poems, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, in 1830. "Claribel" and "Mariana", which remain some of Tennyson's most celebrated poems, were included in this volume. Although described by some critics as overly sentimental, his poems ultimately proved popular and brought Tennyson to the attention of well-known writers of the day, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Tennyson's early poetry, with its medievalism and powerful visual imagery, was a major influence on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

Tennyson also focused on short lyrics, such as "Break, Break, Break", "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Tears, Idle Tears", and "Crossing the Bar". Much of his verse was based on classical mythological themes, such as "Ulysses" and "The Lotos-Eaters". "In Memoriam A.H.H." was written to commemorate his friend Arthur Hallam, a fellow poet and student at Trinity College, Cambridge, after he died of a stroke at the age of 22. Tennyson also wrote notable blank verse, including Idylls of the King, "Ulysses", and "Tithonus". During his career, Tennyson attempted drama, but his plays enjoyed little success.

A number of phrases from Tennyson's work have become commonplace in the English language, including "Nature, red in tooth and claw" ("In Memoriam A.H.H."), "'Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all", "Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die", "My strength is as the strength of ten, / Because my heart is pure", "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to