Discuss Tennyson as a representative poet of his age

Question: Tennyson is the most complete and comprehensive representative of his age. Discuss.

Or, Discuss Tennyson as a representative poet of his age.

Or, Estimate Tennyson as the representative poet of the Victorian Age.

Or, Discuss Tennyson's involvement in the spiritual problems of his age.

Or, What do you learn of the general, intellectual, and political tendencies of the nineteenth century from your reading of Tennyson's poetry?

Or, How far does Tennyson's poetry represent the ideas, tastes, and prevailing currents of thought of Englishmen belonging to his generation?

Or, As a poet of a personal and national spirit, Tennyson is probably the most representative literary man of the Victorian Period.

Or, Illustrate from the poetry of Tennyson the intellectual unrest and spiritual distress which afflicted the Victorian Age.

Or. Show how Tennyson's poetry reveals his deep awareness of the social and religious problems of his age.

Or, Write a note on the representative character of Tennyson as a poet of the Victorian Age.

Or, The critics of the 20th century criticize Tennyson as the typical Victorian. Do you agree?

Or, What do you know about Tennyson as a representative poet of the Victorian Age?

Or, Tennyson deals with the spiritual problems of his age. Discuss.

Or, Tennyson is the most representative poet of his age. Examine.

Or, Discuss how Tennyson deals with the spiritual problems of his time.

Or, How far is Tennyson the prophet and interpreter of his age?

Or, Why is Tennyson called the representative poet of his age?

Or, What makes Tennyson the representative poet of his age?

Or, “Tennyson is the product of his time.” Comment.

Answer: Alfred Tennyson is generally regarded as the most complete and comprehensive poet of the Victorian Age (1832-1901). His poetry represents the social, political, moral, philosophical, and religious problems of his time. He has highlighted the Victorian spirit in his poems. Frankly speaking, at every age, there is someone either a poet or other who represents in his writing the very spirit of that age. Thus Tennyson in his poetry expresses the very spirit of the Victorian Age. In this respect, William J. Long says, “As a poet who expresses not so much a personal as a national spirit, he (Tennyson) is probably the most representative of the literary man of the Victorian era.” Again Hugh Walker puts, "Tennyson was not merely a great man but, with the exception, the most complete and comprehensive of his age.” However, we also cannot but agree with J. Long and Hugh Walker.

The poetry of Tennyson is an epitome of the Victorian Age. It exhibits the previously mentioned problems of the time. It also highlights the ideas, feelings, and manners of that period. For nearly half a century, the poet serves as the spokesman of the British people. He expresses their doubt and faith, griefs and triumphs. In fact, the Victorian Period was a period of peace and prosperity at home and abroad. In this same period, the expansion of the British Empire spread over a very large portion of the world. The English nation was prospering and growing richer and richer every day. This prosperity occurred particularly in the industrial and scientific fields. All these material things as well as the growth of education and learning are vividly reflected in Tennyson's poetry. Therefore, he is the representative poet of the Victorian Age.

The salient features of the Victorian Age are moderation in politics, refined culture, and religious liberalism. For this reason, the literature of this period reflects peace, order, and stability. The ideals are 'compromise' and 'construction'. A dualism of reason and emotion, materialism and mysticism, religion and science, or faith and doubt is pervasive in the Victorian Period. Similarly, a compromise between the old and the new, between freedom and restriction is also noteworthy. Almost all of these characteristics of the time have evidently been reflected in Tennyson's poems. Moreover, Tennyson is marked by the traits of a Romantic poet.

Tennyson glorified the Victorian spirit in his poems. He deals with traditional myths and legends. He uses classical myth in his poem. “Tithonus”. He infuses the Victorian sense of morality in this poem. He argues reasonably with the spirit of the age here. Thitonus gets immortality but not immortal youth. So his life becomes burdensome to him. As a result, he wants to go back to his mortal life. The poet urges the Victorians not to be afraid of death. He thinks that death is conquerable. In “The Lotos-Eaters”, he urged the Victorian people not to be like the lotos-eaters. They must not be idle and unwilling to move as the eaters of lotos.

The degenerated morality of the Victorian Age is found in the exquisite narrative poem, "Morte D' Arthur”. In this poem, the poet shows that Sir Bedivere who is the favorite knight of King Arthur disobeys him twice. Two times Arthur orders the knight to cast his magical sword, Excalibur into the lake. But twice Sir Bedi hides the sword in the bush. He tells the king that he has done the task given to him. Here we see that he breaks away from honesty and morality. He is fascinated by the beauty of Excalibur's hilt, made of numerous diamonds and gems. So his lust for the diamond hilt means the desire for worldly materials. The Victorian people were also very mad about wealth. The age is known as the age of the Mammon warship. It is a materialistic age. Therefore, the poet has exposed Sir Bedivere as the representative of the Victorian people.

Tennyson was aware of the changes taking place in his period. This is apparent in his beautiful narrative poem, "Morte D'Arlthur”. The poem illustrates the truth that change is inevitable. No rule or order is permanent in the universe. The poet says through the mouth of King Arthur-

“The old order changeth, yielding place to new,

And God fulfills Himself in many ways,

Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.”

Tennyson may have said it to the conservatives of his own time. He appears to advise them to adapt themselves to the changing circumstances. Because the conservatives attached them to the past in a blind manner.

The Victorian Period is a period of imperialism. Tennyson has expressed his attitude to it in his poem, "Locksley Hall”. He at first wants to escape from the busy world of England. He desires to go to remote islands of the Pacific and take some savage woman. But immediately, he rejects his idea. He declares that he counts the grey barbarian lower than the Christian child. He calls himself an heir of all ages. The speaker of the poem moves between hope and hopelessness. His hopelessness comes from the Victorian sense of morality. He is frustrated and in love with Amy. Yet he wants to cherish a hope that the world will be running apace with trade, commerce, and even aerial warfare for scientific discovery. He also hopes that the Federation of the World will be built. This will bring lasting peace all over the world.

However, it is almost transparent that Tennyson holds a faithful mirror of his age before his readers. His poems reflect the general spirit of his age. He accepts the new theory of evolution and modern science and its discoveries. He shows the hope, doubt, belief, aspiration, and achievement of the Victorian people. Thus he represents the Victorian Period. So he is a great representative poet of his time.