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Boadicea
The poem "Boadicea" by Lord Alfred Tennyson.
7 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 27, 2012
64 people want to read
About the author
Alfred Tennyson
2,162 books1,447 followersWorks, including
In Memoriam
in 1850 and "The Charge of the Light Brigade" in 1854, of Alfred Tennyson, first baron, known as lord, appointed British poet laureate in 1850, reflect Victorian sentiments and aesthetics.
Elizabeth Tennyson, wife, bore Alfred Tennyson, the fourth of twelve children, to George Tennyson, clergyman; he inevitably wrote his books. In 1816, parents sent Tennyson was sent to grammar school of Louth.
Alfred Tennyson disliked school so intensely that from 1820, home educated him. At the age of 18 years in 1827, Alfred joined his two brothers at Trinity College, Cambridge and with Charles Tennyson, his brother, published Poems by Two Brothers , his book, in the same year.
Alfred Tennyson published Poems Chiefly Lyrical , his second book, in 1830. In 1833, Arthur Henry Hallam, best friend of Tennyson, engaged to wed his sister, died, and thus inspired some best Ulysses and the Passing of Arthur .
Following William Wordsworth, Alfred Tennyson in 1850 married Emily Sellwood Tenyson, his childhood friend. She bore Hallam Tennyson in 1852 and Lionel Tennyson in 1854, two years later.
Alfred Tennyson continued throughout his life and in the 1870s also to write a number of plays.
In 1884, the queen raised Alfred Tennyson, a great favorite of Albert, prince, thereafter to the peerage of Aldworth. She granted such a high rank for solely literary distinction to this only Englishman.
Alfred Tennyson died at the age of 83 years, and people buried his body in abbey of Westminster.
Elizabeth Tennyson, wife, bore Alfred Tennyson, the fourth of twelve children, to George Tennyson, clergyman; he inevitably wrote his books. In 1816, parents sent Tennyson was sent to grammar school of Louth.
Alfred Tennyson disliked school so intensely that from 1820, home educated him. At the age of 18 years in 1827, Alfred joined his two brothers at Trinity College, Cambridge and with Charles Tennyson, his brother, published Poems by Two Brothers , his book, in the same year.
Alfred Tennyson published Poems Chiefly Lyrical , his second book, in 1830. In 1833, Arthur Henry Hallam, best friend of Tennyson, engaged to wed his sister, died, and thus inspired some best Ulysses and the Passing of Arthur .
Following William Wordsworth, Alfred Tennyson in 1850 married Emily Sellwood Tenyson, his childhood friend. She bore Hallam Tennyson in 1852 and Lionel Tennyson in 1854, two years later.
Alfred Tennyson continued throughout his life and in the 1870s also to write a number of plays.
In 1884, the queen raised Alfred Tennyson, a great favorite of Albert, prince, thereafter to the peerage of Aldworth. She granted such a high rank for solely literary distinction to this only Englishman.
Alfred Tennyson died at the age of 83 years, and people buried his body in abbey of Westminster.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 28, 2025
"So the Queen Boadicea, standing loftily charioted,
Brandishing in her hand a dart and rolling glances lioness-like,
Yell'd and shriek'd between her daughters in her fierce volubility."
Tennyson is my favourite poet, so it felt right to end the year with a few of his works, this was first on the list, being among the shortest ones (I don't have the mental capacity to read much today, but Tennyson, him I can read). It made me realise that I haven't read any books about Boadicea, I'll have to remedy that soon.
Brandishing in her hand a dart and rolling glances lioness-like,
Yell'd and shriek'd between her daughters in her fierce volubility."
Tennyson is my favourite poet, so it felt right to end the year with a few of his works, this was first on the list, being among the shortest ones (I don't have the mental capacity to read much today, but Tennyson, him I can read). It made me realise that I haven't read any books about Boadicea, I'll have to remedy that soon.
June 11, 2025
It's hard for me to dislike a Tennyson. This one's replete with more brutality than I expected though. I also had no idea what was going on with the meter or verse form. The Wikipedia entry on galliambic verse has this as its single post-classical example, although its adherence to this ideal is so variable as to wonder if it ought even be classified as such. Generally euphonic, some points seem awkward, but I expect this reflects my incompetence to some degree; sadly, a quick search on YouTube fails to retrieve anything better.
What's more interesting is how divorced this view is from the predominant sentimental pride felt by his countryfolk for this vengeful mother figure. It is a fair critique. The historical record offers relatively little, less still that does not reflect Roman in-fighting, but the ardent razing of Londinium and Verulamium took no prisoners: Roman or Briton, man or woman, elder or child. The historical aligning of this poem's composition with the iconic Victorian statue suggests an interesting thesis taken up by Shepherd in his paper "How the Red Ring Became the Bronze Horse and the Horse Became the Ring: Tennyson’s 'Boädicea'."
Compare with William Cowpers "Boadicea, An Ode." See https://onthetrailofboudicaboudiccace... for the sources as well as both poems.
What's more interesting is how divorced this view is from the predominant sentimental pride felt by his countryfolk for this vengeful mother figure. It is a fair critique. The historical record offers relatively little, less still that does not reflect Roman in-fighting, but the ardent razing of Londinium and Verulamium took no prisoners: Roman or Briton, man or woman, elder or child. The historical aligning of this poem's composition with the iconic Victorian statue suggests an interesting thesis taken up by Shepherd in his paper "How the Red Ring Became the Bronze Horse and the Horse Became the Ring: Tennyson’s 'Boädicea'."
Compare with William Cowpers "Boadicea, An Ode." See https://onthetrailofboudicaboudiccace... for the sources as well as both poems.
April 10, 2019
Heroic poetry. Virginia Woolf should have read this before she wrote A Room of One's Own.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews