# Alfred Tennyson

## Biography

Alfred Tennyson, born on August 6, 1809, in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England, was a pivotal figure in English poetry during the Victorian era. The son of a rector, he was one of numerous siblings and began writing poetry at a young age. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he published "Poems by Two Brothers" with his elder brother Charles in 1827 and later won the Chancellor's Gold Medal for his poem "Timbuctoo." Although he left Cambridge without a degree following his father's death, Tennyson steadily built his literary career.

His reputation grew throughout the 1840s, cemented by the publication of his masterpiece, "In Memoriam A.H.H.," in 1850. That same year, he was appointed Poet Laureate, succeeding William Wordsworth, a position he held for over four decades. His poetry, often exploring themes of grief, faith, and duty, resonated deeply with the public and Queen Victoria, for whom his work provided solace. In 1883, having previously declined, Tennyson accepted an hereditary peerage, becoming Baron Tennyson of Aldworth and Farringford. He continued to write prolifically until his death on October 6, 1892, and was interred in Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner.

## Books

- [Idylls of the King](https://samolit.com/books/96420)