Alfred　Tennyson
  by　Andrew　Lang
  INTRODUCTION
  In　writing　this　brief　sketch　of　the　Life　of　Tennyson；　and　this
  attempt　to　appreciate　his　work；　I　have　rested　almost　entirely　on　the
  Biography　by　Lord　Tennyson　（with　his　kind　permission）　and　on　the　text
  of　the　Poems。　　As　to　the　Life；　doubtless　current　anecdotes；　not　given
  in　the　Biography；　are　known　to　me；　and　to　most　people。　　But　as　they
  must　also　be　familiar　to　the　author　of　the　Biography；　I　have　not
  thought　it　desirable　to　include　what　he　rejected。　　The　works　of　the
  〃localisers〃　I　have　not　read：　　Tennyson　disliked　these　researches；　as
  a　rule；　and　they　appear　to　be　unessential；　and　often　hazardous。　　The
  professed　commentators　I　have　not　consulted。　　It　appeared　better　to
  give　one's　own　impressions　of　the　Poems；　unaffected　by　the
  impressions　of　others；　except　in　one　or　two　cases　where　matters　of
  fact　rather　than　of　taste　seemed　to　be　in　question。　　Thus　on　two　or
  three　points　I　have　ventured　to　differ　from　a　distinguished　living
  critic；　and　have　given　the　reasons　for　my　dissent。　　Professor
  Bradley's　Commentary　on　In　Memoriam　｛1｝　came　out　after　this　sketch
  was　in　print。　　Many　of　the　comments　cited　by　Mr　Bradley　from　his
  predecessors　appear　to　justify　my　neglect　of　these　curious　inquirers。
  The　〃difficulties〃　which　they　raise　are　not　likely；　as　a　rule；　to
  present　themselves　to　persons　who　read　poetry　〃for　human　pleasure。〃
  I　have　not　often　dwelt　on　parallels　to　be　found　in　the　works　of
  earlier　poets。　　In　many　cases　Tennyson　deliberately　reproduced
  passages　from　Greek；　Latin；　and　old　Italian　writers；　just　as　Virgil
  did　in　the　case　of　Homer；　Theocritus；　Apollonius　Rhodius；　and　others。
  There　are；　doubtless；　instances　in　which　a　phrase　is　unconsciously
  reproduced　by　automatic　memory；　from　an　English　poet。　　But　I　am　less
  inclined　than　Mr　Bradley　to　think　that　unconscious　reminiscence　is
  more　common　in　Tennyson　than　in　the　poets　generally。　　I　have　not
  closely　examined　Keats　and　Shelley；　for　example；　to　see　how　far　they
  were　influenced　by　unconscious　memory。　　But　Scott；　confessedly；　was
  apt　to　reproduce　the　phrases　of　others；　and　once　unwittingly　borrowed
  from　a　poem　by　the　valet　of　one　of　his　friends！　　I　believe　that　many
  of　the　alleged　borrowings　in　Tennyson　are　either　no　true　parallels　at
  all　or　are　the　unavoidable　coincidences　of　expression　which　must
  inevitably　occur。　　The　poet　himself　stated；　in　a　lively　phrase；　his
  opinion　of　the　hunters　after　parallels；　and　I　confess　that　I　am　much
  of　his　mind。　　They　often　remind　me　of　Mr　Punch's　parody　on　an
  unfriendly　review　of　Alexander　Smith　…
  〃Most　WOMEN　have　NO　CHARACTER　at　all。〃　POPE。
  〃No　CHARACTER　that　servant　WOMAN　asked。〃　SMITH。
  I　have　to　thank　Mr　Edmund　Gosse　and　Mr　Vernon　Rendall　for　their
  kindness　in　reading　my　proof…sheets。　　They　have　saved　me　from　some
  errors；　but　I　may　have　occasionally　retained　matter　which；　for　one
  reason　or　another；　did　not　recommend　itself　to　them。　　In　no　case　are
  they　responsible　for　the　opinions　expressed；　or　for　the　critical
  estimates。　　They　are　those　of　a　Tennysonian；　and；　no　doubt；　would　be
  other　than　they　are　if　the　writer　were　younger　than　he　is。　　It　does
  not　follow　that　they　would　necessarily　be　more　correct；　though
  probably　they　would　be　more　in　vogue。　　The　point　of　view　must　shift
  with　each　generation　of　readers；　as　ideas　or　beliefs　go　in　or　out　of
  fashion；　are　accepted；　rejected；　or　rehabilitated。　　To　one　age
  Tennyson　may　seem　weakly　superstitious；　to　another　needlessly
  sceptical。　　After　all；　what　he　must　live　by　is；　not　his　opinions；　but
  his　poetry。　　The　poetry　of　Milton　survives　his　ideas；　whatever　may　be
  the　fate　of　the　ideas　of　Tennyson　his　poetry　must　endure。
  CHAPTER　IBOYHOODCAMBRIDGEEARLY　POEMS。
  The　life　and　work　of　Tennyson　present　something　like　the　normal　type
  of　what；　in　circumstances　as　fortunate　as　mortals　may　expect；　the
  life　and　work　of　a　modern　poet　ought　to　be。　　A　modern　poet；　one　says；
  because　even　poetry　is　now　affected　by　the　division　of　labour。　　We　do
  not　look　to　the　poet　for　a　large　share　in　the　practical　activities　of
  existence：　　we　do　not　expect　him；　like　AEschylus　and　Sophocles；
  Theognis　and　Alcaeus；　to　take　a　conspicuous　part　in　politics　and　war；
  or　even；　as　in　the　Age　of　Anne；　to　shine　among　wits　and　in　society。
  Life　has　become；　perhaps；　too　specialised　for　such　multifarious
  activities。　　Indeed；　even　in　ancient　days；　as　a　Celtic　proverb　and　as
  the　picture　of　life　in　the　Homeric　epics　prove；　the　poet　was　already
  a　man　apartnot　foremost　among　statesmen　and　rather　backward　among
  warriors。　　If　we　agree　with　a　not　unpopular　opinion；　the　poet　ought
  to　be　a　kind　of　〃Titanic〃　force；　wrecking　himself　on　his　own　passions
  and　on　the　nature　of　things；　as　did　Byron；　Burns；　Marlowe；　and
  Musset。　　But　Tennyson's　career　followed　lines　really　more　normal；　the
  lines　of　the　life　of　Wordsworth；　wisdom　and　self…control　directing
  the　course　of　a　long；　sane；　sound；　and　fortunate　existence。　　The
  great　physical　strength　which　is　commonly　the　basis　of　great　mental
  vigour　was　not　ruined　in　Tennyson　by　poverty　and　passion；　as　in　the
  case　of　Burns；　nor　in　forced　literary　labour；　as　in　those　of　Scott
  and　Dickens。　　For　long　he　was　poor；　like　Wordsworth　and　Southey；　but
  never　destitute。　　He　made　his　early　effort：　　he　had　his　time　of　great
  sorrow；　and　trial；　and　apparent　failure。　　With　practical　wisdom　he
  conquered　circumstances；　he　became　eminent；　he　outlived　reaction
  against　his　genius；　he　died　in　the　fulness　of　a　happy　age　and　of
  renown。　　This　full…orbed　life；　with　not　a　few　years　of　sorrow　and
  stress；　is　what　Nature　seems　to　intend　for　the　career　of　a　divine
  minstrel。　　If　Tennyson　missed　the　〃one　crowded　hour　of　glorious
  life；〃　he　had　not　to　be　content　in　〃an　age　without　a　name。〃
  It　was　not　Tennyson's　lot　to　illustrate　any　modern　theory　of　the
  origin　of　genius。　　Born　in　1809　of　a　Lincolnshire　family；　long
  connected　with　the　soil　but　inconspicuous　in　history；　Tennyson　had
  nothing　Celtic　in　his　blood；　as　far　as　pedigrees　prove。　　This　is
  unfortunate　for　one　school　of　theorists。　　His　mother　（genius　is
  presumed　to　be　derived　from　mothers）　had　a　genius　merely　for　moral
  excellence　and　for　religion。　　She　is　described　in　the　poem　of　Isabel；
  and　was　〃a　remarkable　and　saintly　woman。〃　　In　the　male　line；　the
  family　was　not　（as　the　families　of　genius　ought　to　be）　brief　of　life
  and　unhealthy。　　〃The　Tennysons　never　die；〃　said　the　sister　who　was
  betrothed　to　Arthur　Hallam。　　The　father；　a　clergyman；　was；　says　his
  grandson；　〃a　man　of　great　ability；〃　and　his　〃excellent　library〃　was
  an　element　in　the　education　of　his　family。　　〃My　father　was　a　poet；〃
  Tennyson　said；　〃and　could　write　regular　verse　very　skilfully。〃　　In
  physical　type　the　sons　were　tall；　strong；　and　unusually　dark：
  Tennyson；　when　abroad；　was　not　taken　for　an　Englishman；　at　home；
  strangers　thought　him　〃foreign。〃　　Most　of　the　children　had　the
  temperament；　and　several　of　the　sons　had　some　of　the　accomplishments；
  of　genius：　　whence　derived　by　way　of　heredity　is　a　question　beyond
  conjecture；　for　the　father's　accomplishment　was　not　unusual。　　As
  Walton　says　of　the　poet　and　the　angler；　they　〃were　born　to　be　so〃：
  we　know　no　more。
  The　region　in　which　the　paternal　hamlet　of　Somersby　lies；　〃a　land　of
  quiet　villages；　large　fields；　grey　hillsides；　and　noble　tall…towered
  churches；　on　the　lower　slope　of　a　Lincolnshire　wold；〃　does　not　appear
  to　have　been　rich　in　romantic　legend　and　tradition。　　The　folk…lore　of
  Lincolnshire；　of　which　examples　have　been　published；　does　seem　to
  have　a　peculiar　poetry　of　its　own；　but　it　was　rather　the　humorous
  than　the　poetical　aspect　of　the　country…people　that　Tennyson　appears
  to　have　known。　　In　brief；　we　have　nothing　to　inform　us　as　to　how
  genius　came　into　that　generation　of　Tennysons　which　was　born　between
  1807　and　1819。　　A　source　and　a　cause　there　must　have　been；　but　these
  things　are　hidden；　except　from　popular　science。
  Precocity　is　not　a　sign　of　genius；　but　genius　is　perhaps　always
  accompanied　by　precocity。　　This　is　especially　notable　in　the　cases　of
  painting；　music；　and　mathematics；　but　in　the　matter　of　literature
  genius　may　chiefly　show　itself　in　acquisition；　as　in　Sir　Walter
  Scott；　who　when　a　boy　knew　much；　but　did　little　that　would　attract
  notice。　　As　a　child　and　a　boy　young　Tennyson　was　remarked　both　for
  acquisition　and　performance。　　His　own　reminiscences　of　his　childhood
  varied　somewhat　in　detail。　　In　one　place　we　learn　that　at　the　age　of
  eight　he　covered　a　slate　with　blank　verse　in　the　manner　of　Jamie
  Thomson；　the　only　poet　with　whom　he　was　then　acquainted。　　In　another
  passage　he　says；　〃The　first　poetry　that　moved　me　was　my　own　at　five
  years　old。　　When　I　was　eight　I　remember　making　a　line　I　thought
  grander　than　Campbell；　or　Byron；　or　Scott。　　I　rolled　it　out；　it　was
  this　…
  'With　slaughterous　sons　of　thunder　rolled　the　flood'　…
  great　nonsense；　of　course；　but　I　thought　it　fine！〃
  It　WAS　fine；　and　was　thoroughly　Tennysonian。　　Scott；　Campbell；　and
  Byron　probably　never　produced　a　line　with　the　qualities　of　this
  nonsense　verse。　　〃Before　I　could　read　I　was　in　the　habit　on　a　stormy
  day　of　spreading　my　arms　to　the　wind　and　crying　out；　'I　hear　a　voice
  that's　speaki