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Alfred Tennyson is Born
Born on August 6, 1809, in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England, Alfred Tennyson is one of the most well-loved Victorian poets. -
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Tennyson's father domestic violence
In the 1820s Tennyson’s father began to suffer frequent mental breakdowns that were exacerbated by alcoholism. One of Tennyson’s brothers had violent quarrels with his father, a second was later confined to an insane asylum, and another became an opium addict -
Alfred Tennyson epic poem
At the age of twelve he wrote a 6,000-line epic poem -
Alfred escapes home
Tennyson escaped home in 1827 to attend Trinity College, Cambridge -
Poems by Two Brothers
In 1827, he and his brother Charles published Poems by Two Brothers. Although the poems in the book were mostly juvenile, they attracted the attention of the “Apostles,” an undergraduate literary club led by Arthur Hallam -
Poems, Chiefly Lyrical
In 1830, Tennyson published Poems, Chiefly Lyrical and in 1832 he published a second volume entitled simply Poems. Some reviewers condemned these books as “affected” and “obscure.” -
Hallam dies
Hallam and Tennyson became the best of friends; they toured Europe together in 1830 and again in 1832. Hallam’s sudden death in 1833 greatly affected the young poet. The long elegy In Memoriam and many of Tennyson’s other poems are tributes to Hallam. -
Alfred Tennyson becomes engaged
In 1836, he became engaged to Emily Sellwood. When he lost his inheritance on a bad investment in 1840, Sellwood’s family called off the engagement -
Poems
In 1842 Tennyson’s Poems in two volumes was a tremendous critical and popular success. -
In Memorian
In 1850, with the publication of In Memoriam, Tennyson became one of Britain’s most popular poets. He was selected Poet Laureate. -
Marriage
In 1850, he married Emily Sellwood. They had two sons, Hallam and Lionel. -
Idylls of the Kings
In 1859, Tennyson published the first poems of Idylls of the Kings, which sold more than 10,000 copies in one month -
Alfred Lord Tennyson
In 1884, he accepted a peerage, becoming Alfred Lord Tennyson -
Alfred Lord Tennyson
In 1884, he accepted a peerage, becoming Alfred Lord Tennyson -
Alfred Lord Tennyson Death
Tennyson died in 1892 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.