Introduction al
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ost of these men were notable in later life, but the onemost important to Tennyson was Arthur Hallam, his dear-est, most intimate friend. Tennyson did not take his degree at Cambridge. Calledhome in 1831 by the last illness of his father, he did notreturn to the University. The next year he published hissecond volume. It contained many notable poems, but itwas received very unfavorably by the reviewers, beingattacked chiefly on the score of affectation. Lockhart’sarticle, in the “Quarterly Review,” had a powerful in-fluence on the public, and on Tennyson had the effect ofpreventing him from publishing again for ten years. These ten years of silence were quiet ones, broken bytrips to London and tours to Wales, Warwick, and otherplaces in the British Isles. Arthur Hallam had died in 1833.When Tennyson, to whom Hallam had been like a brother,recovered from the first shock, he began writing “In Me-moriam.” But he printed nothing save a few contributionsto Annuals. The general public either did not know or ig-nored his work. But from a small group of friends and en-thusiasts his reputation was very gradually spreading.Emerson made him known in America, and his influencebegan to be felt on other poets. In 1842 he broke his long silence with two volumes con-taining a large number of new poems and many of thoseof 1830 and 1832 revised and reprinted. The publicationmarked a turning point in his literary career. The vol-umes were favorably reviewed even by the “Quarterly,”and popular approval grew. His name was even considered,at Southey’s death, for the laureateship, and a pension oftwo hundred pounds a year was granted him. “The Prin-cess,” his next book, although vigorously attacked by thefirst reviews, was enthusiastically accepted by the reading public. xii Introduction During these years of growing fame, he was living partlyin London, partly in the country. He was making newfriends of the men and women of literary reputation, theCarlyles and Miss Barrett, Hunt and Landor. He wenton a number of tours, notably one in Cornwall, where therecame to him anew the intention which he had long had ofwriting on the Arthurian story. And he was busy most ofthe time on ‘‘In Memoriam.” This poem to the memory of Hallam was published anony-mously in 1850, but the authorship was not long kept asecret. Its popularity sent it into four editions by thefollowing January. In June of the same year he marriedEmily Sellwood; and in November he was made Poet Laure-ate. The Tennysons settled first at Twickenham, but threeyears later they moved to the Isle of Wight, to “Farring-ford.” Here he wrote “Maud.” Summer tours to Walesand Norway and Portugal punctuated his work on the“Idylls of the King,” four of which he published in thespring of 1859. The volume containing “Enoch Arden”appeared five years later. Public recognition came to himin the form of an honorary degree from Oxford and electionto the Royal Society. He built a new home for himself,“Aldworth,” near Haslemere, in Surrey; but he always re-tained ‘“‘Farringford,” and divided his time between thetwo. Both houses saw distinguished and interesting visi-tors; the Laureate’s reputation was spreading. In 1875, Tennyson began a period of dramatic writing.A number of his plays were produced, some with great suc-cess, notably “Becket” by Henry Irving, and the Ameri-can peformance of “The Foresters,” with John Drew and AdaRehan. Except for the activities connected with the writ-ing and production of these plays, Tennyson led a quietlife. Many friends visited him at “Aldworth” and “Far-ringford”’; several American authors either wrote him or
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