Questions tagged [alfred-tennyson]
Questions about the works of Alfred Tennyson (1809 – 1892) or his life as a writer and poet. Questions about his poems should be tagged with [poetry] tag.
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Why does Tennyson mean by "by the bird's song ye may learn the nest"
In Tennyson's The Marriage of Geraint, the protagonist, Geraint, has just heard the song of Enid, the daughter of his host, Yniol. When Enid's song concludes, Yniol says the following to Geraint:
'...
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What does Tennyson mean by "the rustic cackle ... [is] the murmur of the world"?
I am finding the following lines from Tennyson's Idylls of the King quite perplexing:
A thousand pips eat up your sparrow-hawk!
Tits, wrens, and all wing'd nothings peck him dead!
Ye think the rustic ...
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1
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Does Vivien sleep with Merlin in Tennyson's "Idylls of the King"?
I am re-reading Tennyson's Idylls of the King after many years. His idyll "Merlin and Vivien" is a rather in-depth look at how Vivien learns Merlin's magic through some impressive feats of ...
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Why are the lotos-eaters "mild-eyed" and "melancholy"?
In Tennyson's famous poem "The Lotos-eaters", a group of mariners find themselves on an island inhabited by "Lotos-eaters", and themselves decide to stay after eating lotos has had ...
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Why did Tennyson write "The Brook" from the brook's first-person perspective?
In the poem "The Brook", Tennyson speaks about the journey of a small brook which later joins a mighty river. The poem is narrated in the first person by the small brook:
I come from haunts ...
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1
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What does “Honor the Light Brigade” mean?
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade”'s last stanza is
When can their glory fade?
Oh, the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the ...
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9
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2
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What does "It is not meet" mean in "Idylls of the King"?
From Idylls of the King: The Passing of Arthur by Alfred Tennyson:
To him replied the bold Sir Bedivere:
'It is not meet, Sir King, to leave thee thus,
Aidless, alone, and smitten through the helm—
A ...
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1
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Meaning of "every dewdrop paints a bow" from In Memoriam, Section CXXII by Alfred lord Tennyson
And every dewdrop paints a bow
A line by Alfred Lord Tennyson, from section CXXII of his poem In Memoriam. What is the poet actually trying to convey with this line?
The verse in context:
And all ...
- 51
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Confused about the meter and rhythm of Ulysses by Tennyson
Ulysses is written in iambic pentameter. There are a few spondees and trochees thrown in for good measure, but I'm confused in some places, like here:
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life ...
- 263
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What do these lines mean in Tennyson's poem "Northern Farmer - Old Style"?
What does
But summun ’ull come ater meä mayhap wi’ ’is kittle o’ steam
Huzzin’ an’ maäzin’ the blessed feälds wi’ the Divil’s oaän teäm.
mean in modern English?
- 31
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What did Tennyson intend to say, by 'fierce light that beats upon a throne and blackens every blot'?
Source: Rebecca Gowers. Plain Words (2014 ed). p. 270 Top.
The fact is not that officials do uniquely badly but that they are
uniquely vulnerable. Making fun of them has always been one of
the ...
user175
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What is the meaning of Christmas in In Memoriam A.H.H.?
While reading Tennyson's In Memoriam A.H.H., written in honor of his close friend Arthur Henry Hallam, I noticed that Christmas is a recurring theme. In appears several times:
Sections XXVIII - XXX, ...
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What is the symbolism of the final rise of the Kraken?
I've been studying a lot of Tennyson, and I recently read The Kraken. The first 12 lines seem relatively straightforward, describing the giant beast that sleeps at the bottom of the sea, but the final ...
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Did Alfred Tennyson ever read The Last of the Light Brigade?
The Last of the Light Brigade, by Rudyard Kipling refers to Alfred Tennyson and his poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade. Do we know if Alfred Tennyson ever read The Last of the Light Brigade? If so, ...
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Which is the 'correct' version of "The Lady of Shalott" and why are there two?
It seems Tennyson wrote two versions of "The Lady of Shalott". They are quite similar but have some big differences, for example, the first stanza of the 1832 version is:
On either side the ...
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Why does the Lady of Shalott stay instead of stray?
In Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott" there is the following verse:
There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she ...
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Does "The Charge of the Light Brigade" glorify war or criticize it?
The Charge of the Light Brigade is an 1854 narrative poem at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War.
Does it glorify war or criticize it?
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