Lord Alfred Tennyson's Poetry

Support for studying English GCSE and A Level

Lord Alfred Tennyson - Biography

Alfred, Lord Tennyson was born (Somersby, Lincolnshire, England) on 6 August 1809 and died on 6 October 1892 (Lurgashall, Sussex, England). He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 19 November 1850 – 6 October 1892, during much of Queen Victoria’s reign.

Tennyson’s parents were George and Elizabeth. He and his elder brothers started composing poetry in their teens. From 1816 to 1820, Tennyson was a student at King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth. In 1827, Tennyson attended Trinity College, Cambridge. Here, he joined a secret society called the Cambridge Apostles.

One of his most famous poems is ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, which is a tribute to the British cavalrymen who were involved in an ill-advised attack on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War.

Tennyson’s popular phrases: "'Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all", "Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die", and "Knowledge comes, but Wisdom lingers".

Tennyson lived to eighty-three years of age.

Alfred Tennyson Cartoon - High Resolution

Lord Alfred Tennyson - References

Wikipedia (Alfred Tennyson): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred,_Lord_Tennyson
British Library (Alfred Tennyson): https://www.bl.uk/people/alfred-lord-tennyson
Poetry Foundation (Alfred Tennyson): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/alfred-tennyson
BBC (Alfred Tennyson): http://www.bbc.co.uk/poetryseason/poets/alfred_lord_tennyson.shtml
Poets.org (Alfred Tennyson): https://poets.org/poet/alfred-lord-tennyson
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Alfred Tennyson): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Lord-Tennyson

Alfred Tennyson - 'The Kraken' - Annotation

Annotation prompts for Alfred Tennyson's 'The Kraken'.

‘The Kraken’ is about a legendary vast sea monster, that allegedly dwells off the coast of Norway and Greenland. The word derives from Norwegian and Swedish languages, which refers to an unhealthy animal or something twisted.

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further analysis and interpretation.

Alfred Tennyson - 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' - Annotation

Annotation prompts for Alfred Tennyson’s ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’.

‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ is a poem that focuses on the Battle of Balaclava (25.10.1854). Lord Raglan sent orders to his Light Cavalry Brigade to fend off the enemy. The Brigade began charging the wrong way, into a narrow valley. Over 600 men rushed forward / over 150 died / 120 injured. Consequently, Britain lost possession of the majority of its forward defences. Poem published 1854.

Rhyme scheme varies in each stanza. Rhythm: each line is in dimeter (two stressed syllables) / each stressed syllable is followed by two unstressed syllables, making the rhythm dactylic. The falling rhythm may be mimicking the horrific fall of the “Brigade”. Additionally, the rhythm / extensive repetition could indicate the galloping of horses and pace of action.

The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further analysis and interpretation.

Exemplar English Literature Essays

Poetry Essay helps you write essays about English Literature more confidently - providing you with a variety of helpful hints. With Poetry Essay, you should find all the help you need - from analysing a text in detail to writing coherently about it. Please visit the links below for exemplar student-style essays.