34Alfred Tennyson

AlfredTennyson(1809-1892)VictorianPoet:BackgroundInformation:VictorianpoetryVictorianAge,waslargelyanageofprose,especiallythenovel,eminentlyrepresentedbyDickensandThackeray,aswellasliteraryandsocialcriticism,representedbyCarlyleandRuskin.Poetrywasnolongeramajorartintendedtochangetheworld,asthatofByronandShelley.VictorianAgewitnessed“theatleasttemporarydeclineofEnglishpoetry”.Newpoetsappeared,whowrotepoemsundertheinfluenceoftheirRomanticpredecessorsanddidmuchtoperfecttheformofEnglishpoetry.TheirrespectiveattemptsatpoeticinnovationshelpedpavethewayformodernEnglishpoetryinthetwentiethcentury.AlfredTennysona.the4thsonofaclergymaninSombersby.b.Startedwritingveryearly,withByronashisyouthfulhero.c.Unhappyboyhood:relativelyunwealthyfamilyconditions&mentalillnessoffamilymembers.d.In1827,publishedPoemsbyTwoBrothers.Hislife:TennysonBirthPlacef.Thesameyear,wenttostudyatCambridgeandjoinedthe“Apostles”,andmethisbest-friend-to-be,ArthurHenryHallam.g.In1830,publishedhisfirstvolumeofverse“Poems,ChieflyLyrical”.h.In1831,calledhomeduetodeathofhisfatherandfinancialdifficulties.i.In1832,anothervolumeofpoemsbutnotwell-receivedHislife:discourageduncertainfuturesilentfortenyearsrevisingnewandmoreambitiousprojectsperfectedhisarttwosuccessfulvolumesInMemoriamIdyllsoftheKing《国王之歌》《悼念》1833—18501859—1885publishedIn1842,herepublishedhis“Poems”intwovolumesHislife:LordTennyson(丁尼生勋爵)poetlaureatein1850peeroftherealm(上议院的贵族)in1883diedin1892Hislife:Majorworks:Poems(1842)《诗集》两卷本ThePrincess(1847)《公主》InMemoriam(1833-1850)《悼念》Maud《摩德》1855IdyllsoftheKing(1842-1885)《国王诗歌集》Hisbest-knownshortpoemsBreak,Break,Break《冲击，冲击，冲击》Tears,IdleTears《泪，无端的泪》Crossingthebar《过沙洲》TheEagle《老鹰》ThePrincess(1847)Writteninblankverseitdealswiththethemeofwomen’rightsandpositionbothathomeandinthesociety.Blankverse:Itisatypeofpoetry,distinguishedbyhavingaregularmeter,butnorhyme.InEnglish,themetermostcommonlyusedwithblankversehasbeeniambicpentameter(asusedinShakepeareanplays).(无韵诗)（不押韵的抑扬五音步诗行，常为每行十个音节）Blankverse:SurreybroughtinblankverseinEnglishliteraryhistory.ChristopherMarlowewasthefirstEnglishauthortomakefulluseofthepotentialofblankverse,andalsoestablisheditasthedominantverseformforEnglishdramaintheageofElizabethIandJamesI.ThemajorachievementsinEnglishblankverseweremadebyWilliamShakespeare,whowrotemuchofthecontentofhisplaysinunrhymediambicpentameter;Milton’sParadiseLostiswritteninblankverse.RomanticEnglishpoetssuchasWilliamWordsworth,PercyByssheShelley,andJohnKeatsusedblankverseasamajorform.Shortlyafterwards,AlfredLordTenneysonbecameparticularlydevotedtoblankverse,usingitforexampleinhislongnarrativepoemThePrincess.alongpoemintheformofmonodramaagainstthecorruptionsoftheday.MAUD摩德adramaactedordesignedtobeactedbyasinglepersonIdyllsoftheKing《国王之歌》1850—188512metricaltalesKingArthurandhisKnightsoftheRoundTablemostambitiousworkbythepoetInMemoriam《悼念》1833—1850Acollectionof131shortpoemsintendedasalamentforthedeathofArthurHenryHallamthephilosophicalandreligiousbeliefsanddoubtsTakenfromInMemoriamAlyricpoemdedicatedtohisbestfriendinCambridge,andhissister’sfiancé,ArthurHenryHallam,whodiedin1833attheageof22.Break,Break,BreakPre-readingquestionsforclassroomdiscussion:a.Pleaseidentifythestructure,meterandrhymingschemeofthepoem.Thepoemcontainsfourquatrains,withcombinediambicandanapaesticfeet.Mostlineshavethreefeetandsomefour.Therhymeschemeisabcb.Theanapesticfootcreatesthemusicalityofthepoem.b.Whatfeelingsdoesthepoetwanttoconveythroughthepoem?Itdisplaysthepoet’ssorrowfulfeelingafterHallam’sdeath.TextualAnalysisBreak,break,break:Itisthesoundofthetidehittingtherock;italsoimpliesthegreatsorrowinthebrokenheartofthepoetOnthycoldgraystones,OSea:therepetitionofthe/o/showsthedeepsorrowinthepoet’sheartIwould:IwishO,wellfor:Itwouldbewellforthestatelyshipsgoon:people’severydaylifeisgoingon.Stately:dignifiedOfor:howIwishforthevanishedhand:referringtoHallam’shandavoice:thevoiceofHallamstill:silentthetendergrace:theclosefriendshipQuestionsfordiscussionandstudy1)Whatarethethemesinvolvedinthepoem?GriefIndifferenceofNaturePreciousnessofYouthThemes:GriefThemainthemeisbereavement,heartache,emptiness.Inthenarrator'sdarkhourofgrief,thesunrises,childrenlaugh,businessgoesonasusual.Howcouldtheworldbesocruelandunfeeling?IndifferenceofNatureNaturecontinuestofunctionaccordingtoitsrhythmsregardlessofwhathappens,goodorbad,tohumanbeings.Thesunmayshineandthebirdsmaysinginthemiddleofthebloodiestofbattles.Andtheseawillriseandfallinadefiant,unrelentingrhythmthatrefusestoacknowledgetragedyintheeverydaylifeofaveragemen.PreciousnessofYouthTennyson'sfriend,ArthurHallam,wasonly22whenhedied.TheshockofHallam'sdeathimpresseduponTennysonhowpricelessyouthis.Tounderscorethisidea,andtoexpresstheagonyhesuffersatthelossofyoungHallam,Tennysonpresentsimagesofyouthfuljoy:thefisherman'ssonplayingwithhissisterandthesailorladsinginginthebay.2)Howdoyouunderstandtherepetitivebeginningofthefirstandthelaststanza?Therepetitivebeginningofthefirstandthelaststanzaindicatesnotonlytheind