Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Hallam Tennyson’s biography of his father Alfred, Lord Tennyson, remains the authoritative source of information on the poet’s life. Begun after his death in 1892 and published five years later, this work was produced in order to ‘preclude the chance of further and unauthentic biographies’, and is formed largely of a wealth of documentary evidence: the letters, journals, and personal reminiscences of the poet and those close to him. Adhering to Tennyson’s wishes, on his death his son and wife destroyed over three-quarters of the 40,000 letters he left behind, but those selected and reprinted here nonetheless give a fascinating insight into the personal life of the poet; guarded and respectful in its commemorative tone, but avoiding overzealous eulogy or critical review. Volume 1 contains letters and manuscript notes from the period up to 1864, including those relating to the life and death of Tennyson’s close friend, Arthur Hallam, and his own marriage.