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Alfred Tennyson |
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The poems of anyone who is truly a master of the art and craft of verse are subjected to a good deal of FORMALIST analysis, and Tennyson, who is often showcased in anthologies almost as a type of the "pure" poet ("The Eagle" is an obvious instance), is no exception. The twentieth century has always viewed him, for good or ill or something of both, as the chief poetic representative of that immensely complex and transitional period known as the Victorian age, just as Dickens is perceived as the novelist most representative of the time. It is therefore unsurprising that Tennyson is frequently discussed in a HISTORICAL context. For this reason, among others, he has also been the focus of a fair amount of BIOGRAPHICAL analysis.
Tennyson is highly regarded not only for his lyrics but also, to greater or lesser degree, for his full-length narratives, and individual long works have been discussed in varying contexts. Given its subject matter, The Princess has been considered from the viewpoint of GENDER studies. The genesis and the nature of In Memoriam have attracted not only biographical interest, but also PSYCHOLOGICAL and MYTHOLOGICAL investigation. The psychological and mythological approaches are, of course, also applicable to Idylls of the King. Maud, in many ways the most "modern" of Tennyson's poems, has likewise been the focus of psychological attention. In the light of its highly subjective nature, it might also be profitably approached through READER-RESPONSE and even DECONSTRUCTIONIST techniques.
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