Concetti Chiave

  • Alfred Tennyson was born in 1809 in Somersby and was one of twelve children in a clergyman's family.
  • Tennyson's family struggled with issues like epilepsy, which was stigmatized during that era.
  • He received his early education at his father's rectory before attending Trinity College, Cambridge.
  • At Cambridge, Tennyson formed significant friendships and was part of a poetry-focused group.
  • His close friendship with Arthur Hallam deeply influenced his poetry, especially after Hallam's untimely death in 1833.

Childhood and Family of Tennyson

Alfred Tennyson was born in the city of Somersby in 1809. He was the fourth son of the twelve children of a clergyman, this one was a cultivated but at the same tim he was an embittered man,also devoted to drinking. Part of the family heritage was epilepsy that was a disease then thought to be brought on by sexual excess and therefore it was considered shameful. At the beginning He was educated at his father’s rectory, and then he started to study at the Trinity College in Cambridge. in Cambridge he was living for the first time among young men of his own age who knew little of the problems that had surrounded and also helped him for a long period of his own life. He was an extraordinarily handsome, an intelligent and also humorous person; and soon he was at the centre of a group of young men interested in poetry and conversation.

Friendship with Arthur Hallam

It was probably the happiest period of his life. In Cambridge he also met Arthur Hallam that was to become his close friend and inspire his poetry and works .But then, after a long period of his life, He left Cambridge without completing a degree. However, while he was studying there , in 1803 he decided to publish his first important collection of verse, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical,that was then followed by another volume two years later. He travelled a lot during his life and he also went to the Continent with his friend, but in 1833 Hallam died in Vienna and Tennyson spent many years meditating about his tragical death.

Domande da interrogazione

  1. What were some key aspects of Alfred Tennyson's early life and family background?
  2. Alfred Tennyson was born in Somersby in 1809 as the fourth of twelve children to a clergyman father who was both cultured and troubled by drinking. His family was affected by epilepsy, a condition stigmatized at the time. Tennyson's early education took place at his father's rectory before he attended Trinity College, Cambridge.

  3. How did Tennyson's time at Cambridge influence his personal and professional life?
  4. At Cambridge, Tennyson experienced life among peers for the first time, forming a circle of friends interested in poetry and conversation. This period was marked by his close friendship with Arthur Hallam, who inspired much of his poetry. Despite leaving without a degree, Tennyson published his first significant poetry collection during this time.

  5. What impact did Arthur Hallam's friendship and subsequent death have on Tennyson?
  6. Arthur Hallam's friendship was a source of happiness and inspiration for Tennyson, influencing his poetry and works. Hallam's death in 1833 deeply affected Tennyson, leading him to spend years reflecting on the tragedy, which profoundly influenced his literary output.

Domande e risposte

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