In Memoriam (Magill Book Reviews)
At a glance:
- Author: Alfred, Lord Tennyson
- First Published: 1850
- Type of Work: Elegaic Poem
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric sequence, Elegy
- Subjects: Love or romance, Nineteenth century, Friendship, Poetry or poets, England or English people, Death or dying, Victorian era or Victorianism
Considered in Tennyson’s time his finest poetic achievement, IN MEMORIAM has since lost some of its appeal, except to specialists in literary history. In the Victorian period, the religious issues raised in the poem gave it a special significance. Tennyson describes how grief and despair over Hallam’s death and skepticism caused by new scientific theories led him to question his Christian faith. His account of how he won back his confidence in divine justice and belief in immortality in this poem prompted Queen Victoria, who no doubt spoke for many other readers, to say that next to...
[The entire page is 653 words long]
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