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Idylls of the King
Written in the middle of his career, Idylls of the King is Tennyson's longest and most ambitious work. Reflecting his lifelong interest in Arthurian themes, his primary sources were Malory's Morte d'Arthur and the Welsh Mabinogion. For him, the Idylls embodied the universal and unending war between sense and soul, and Arthur the highest ideals of manhood and kingship; an attitude totally compatible with the moral outlook of his age. Poetically, Tennyson was heir to the Romantics, and Keats's influence in particular can be seen clearly in much of his work. Yet Tennyson's style is undoubtedly his own and he achieved a delicacy of phrase and subtlety of metrical effect that are unmatched. This edition, based on the text authorized by Tennyson himself, contains full critical apparatus.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1885
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About the author
Alfred Tennyson
2,162 books1,448 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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December 18, 2010
I have a beautiful, old edition of this book. I wish I could show you.
On the book marker, in old-fashioned cursive, it says,
Merry Christmas
To Lottie
from
Dora
Update:
This is a truly beautiful work. Enchanting. Mesmerizing, really.
There is just one little thing though...
I'd heard rumblings of this book being misogynistic. Loving Tennyson as I do, I refused to believe it. Basically, I read the book like this:
"Well, that's not necessarily sexist...Okay, it is. But, surely he didn't intend...Okay, he did. But, that doesn't make it some kind of misogynist manifesto!...Bloody Hell."
He's not just saying that women had a certain role or that certain women had a negative influence. He's clearly saying that women only hinder a man's more noble pursuits. Though there are good women in the book, they have little influence over events. Though there are bad men, they are likewise secondary or portrayed as deeply conflicted. Seems to me, when your only choices are, "naive virgin," "adulterous bitch," "frigid bitch," and "bitch," you're conflicted! But Tennyson's women, excepting Elaine and Guinevere, are one dimensional. It would seem Dora's message from the great beyond is, "Merry Christmas. Shut your whore face."
At this point, you're probably wondering why I gave this book five stars if I hated it...
I loved it.
You see, there's just something about it, an otherworldly beauty. Not just beauty but undeniable truth. I love the tragic Elaine and the wantonly destructive Lancelot. I love Guinevere's incapacity for quiet contentment. I love how the holy quest for the grail was soured by by pride and greed. I love Enid's sweetness and Lynette's hilarious bitchiness. I love Arthur's high ideals and his bitter disillusionment. Most of all, I love the glimpse into Tennyson's own tortured psyche. Because, when you really look at it, this isn't a morality tale at all. It's loss of innocence. It's human nature. It's, by God, we really tried.
Then Arthur rose and Lancelot followed him,
And while they stood without the doors, the King
Turned to him saying, `Is it then so well?
Or mine the blame that oft I seem as he
Of whom was written, "A sound is in his ears"?
The foot that loiters, bidden go,--the glance
That only seems half-loyal to command,--
A manner somewhat fallen from reverence--
Or have I dreamed the bearing of our knights
Tells of a manhood ever less and lower?
Or whence the fear lest this my realm, upreared,
By noble deeds at one with noble vows,
From flat confusion and brute violences,
Reel back into the beast, and be no more?'
He spoke, and taking all his younger knights,
Down the slope city rode, and sharply turned
North by the gate. In her high bower the Queen,
Working a tapestry, lifted up her head,
Watched her lord pass, and knew not that she sighed.
I am a whore, dammit! A whore for Tennyson!
"You don't have to shout."
Sorry.
On the book marker, in old-fashioned cursive, it says,
Merry Christmas
To Lottie
from
Dora
Update:
This is a truly beautiful work. Enchanting. Mesmerizing, really.
There is just one little thing though...
I'd heard rumblings of this book being misogynistic. Loving Tennyson as I do, I refused to believe it. Basically, I read the book like this:
"Well, that's not necessarily sexist...Okay, it is. But, surely he didn't intend...Okay, he did. But, that doesn't make it some kind of misogynist manifesto!...Bloody Hell."
He's not just saying that women had a certain role or that certain women had a negative influence. He's clearly saying that women only hinder a man's more noble pursuits. Though there are good women in the book, they have little influence over events. Though there are bad men, they are likewise secondary or portrayed as deeply conflicted. Seems to me, when your only choices are, "naive virgin," "adulterous bitch," "frigid bitch," and "bitch," you're conflicted! But Tennyson's women, excepting Elaine and Guinevere, are one dimensional. It would seem Dora's message from the great beyond is, "Merry Christmas. Shut your whore face."
At this point, you're probably wondering why I gave this book five stars if I hated it...
I loved it.
You see, there's just something about it, an otherworldly beauty. Not just beauty but undeniable truth. I love the tragic Elaine and the wantonly destructive Lancelot. I love Guinevere's incapacity for quiet contentment. I love how the holy quest for the grail was soured by by pride and greed. I love Enid's sweetness and Lynette's hilarious bitchiness. I love Arthur's high ideals and his bitter disillusionment. Most of all, I love the glimpse into Tennyson's own tortured psyche. Because, when you really look at it, this isn't a morality tale at all. It's loss of innocence. It's human nature. It's, by God, we really tried.
Then Arthur rose and Lancelot followed him,
And while they stood without the doors, the King
Turned to him saying, `Is it then so well?
Or mine the blame that oft I seem as he
Of whom was written, "A sound is in his ears"?
The foot that loiters, bidden go,--the glance
That only seems half-loyal to command,--
A manner somewhat fallen from reverence--
Or have I dreamed the bearing of our knights
Tells of a manhood ever less and lower?
Or whence the fear lest this my realm, upreared,
By noble deeds at one with noble vows,
From flat confusion and brute violences,
Reel back into the beast, and be no more?'
He spoke, and taking all his younger knights,
Down the slope city rode, and sharply turned
North by the gate. In her high bower the Queen,
Working a tapestry, lifted up her head,
Watched her lord pass, and knew not that she sighed.
I am a whore, dammit! A whore for Tennyson!
"You don't have to shout."
Sorry.
December 19, 2024
Idylls of the King is a beautiful retelling of the Arthurian legend. In blank verse, Tennyson tells us the coming of Arthur, the romantic chivalrous stories of the knights of the table round, the corruption that envelops the order, the moral decay of his court, the ultimate ruin and downfall of Camelot, and finally, his passing.
This is not an easy work to read because of its darker undertones. Although the work begins in a happy, idyllic tone, the underlying darker current of impending doom is felt from the beginning. With each idyll, the story gets darker, and the finale is heartbreaking. Despite that, the work is alluring, largely due to the lyrical beauty of Tennyson's verse. The picturesque ambience his verses create has a mystical and surreal quality that charms the reader and attracts him irrespective of the depressing tale.
The theme is religiously bent with its stress upon moral degradation and moral decay. The 19th-century religious views are much in display than those in medieval times. Nevertheless, how ruin is unavoidable in a kingdom stung by moral decay is the recurrent theme of these idylls. Through Arthur's downfall, Tennyson shows that one man, though saintly he may be, is an insufficient force to fight against and conquer corruption. Guinevere and Lancelot's sin and betrayal were the cause of Arthur's downfall, yet Arthur's pure and angelic self was no match to stay the ruin. Tennyson's expressions through the idylls regarding moral degradation kept me wondering which court he was truly writing about. Arthur's court at Camelot or Queen Victoria's at Buckingham Palace?
As a story, Idylls of the King has its charms. Each idyll is a story in itself although connected with one another thematically to the story at large. Love, lust, court intrigues, betrayal, greed for power, and corruption, what we often see in history (as well as now in different guises), are presented in rich prose with a captivating style so that readers can traverse through the dark depressing waters with ease. This is my first exposure to Tennyson, after years of waiting to make his acquaintance. I'm glad that this meeting wasn't disappointing.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
This is not an easy work to read because of its darker undertones. Although the work begins in a happy, idyllic tone, the underlying darker current of impending doom is felt from the beginning. With each idyll, the story gets darker, and the finale is heartbreaking. Despite that, the work is alluring, largely due to the lyrical beauty of Tennyson's verse. The picturesque ambience his verses create has a mystical and surreal quality that charms the reader and attracts him irrespective of the depressing tale.
The theme is religiously bent with its stress upon moral degradation and moral decay. The 19th-century religious views are much in display than those in medieval times. Nevertheless, how ruin is unavoidable in a kingdom stung by moral decay is the recurrent theme of these idylls. Through Arthur's downfall, Tennyson shows that one man, though saintly he may be, is an insufficient force to fight against and conquer corruption. Guinevere and Lancelot's sin and betrayal were the cause of Arthur's downfall, yet Arthur's pure and angelic self was no match to stay the ruin. Tennyson's expressions through the idylls regarding moral degradation kept me wondering which court he was truly writing about. Arthur's court at Camelot or Queen Victoria's at Buckingham Palace?
As a story, Idylls of the King has its charms. Each idyll is a story in itself although connected with one another thematically to the story at large. Love, lust, court intrigues, betrayal, greed for power, and corruption, what we often see in history (as well as now in different guises), are presented in rich prose with a captivating style so that readers can traverse through the dark depressing waters with ease. This is my first exposure to Tennyson, after years of waiting to make his acquaintance. I'm glad that this meeting wasn't disappointing.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
July 31, 2020
“The city is built
To music, therefore never built at all,
And therefore built forever.”
Ah, Tennyson! It feels like coming home. This book is music to me.
To music, therefore never built at all,
And therefore built forever.”
Ah, Tennyson! It feels like coming home. This book is music to me.
August 24, 2018
Idylls of the King is something I've wanted to read since I was a teenager--the title, the subject matter, the format all mixed together in my mind to suggest a work of astonishing grace and beauty. I might also add that I had a very naïve idea of what literature was capable of at that time--whatever the actual effect that literature might have on the reader, I was under the confused impression that reading classics like this would somehow augment me as a person, in the same way as someone who happens to have a lot of money might think their personal value was increased as well.
Suffice it to say that I realize now the only thing that makes someone a better person is what they do rather than what they know; great literature might assist in the decision making process by enlarging one's capacity for empathy, but as trophies on a shelf they don't mean much. Taking that into consideration, reading Idylls of the King back when I was a teenager (even assuming I would have finished it) would have been mostly useless, I think. It is a work of grace and beauty, but I would never have been able to see that. Probably all I would have been able to absorb was the fact that there was a lot less derring-do than I would have expected, and as a result, let the words pass in front of my eyes till I was done.
Without some help, that might also have been my experience all these decades later. Thankfully, I had Harold Littledale's Essays on Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King, a (fre)e-book I found on Google Books. I doubt that was the best resource, but it was enough, and the price was right. Reading one of Littledale's essays just prior to reading one of the idylls made a tremendous difference--since I was familiar with the story, spoilers weren't an issue, and with Littledale's short summary and some explanatory notes in hand, I was able to concentrate on the poetry rather than have to split my attention and try to divine the action at the same time.
Another GR poster summed up very succinctly my ideas about the Idylls before I'd started reading: "The title of this work...led me to believe that is would be a fairly cheerful work, but boy was I wrong." I took Idyll to mean idyllic, which made me think of innocence and pleasant summer days and happily ever afters. Instead, it struck me as a deeply melancholy book, with a spiritual subtext that added to the pervading sense of impending doom. This wasn't apparent in the beginning--the first five books held to what I initially expected, but with Balin and Balan, I thought there was a sharp turn in direction.
Or, at least, a sharp turn if you aren't expecting it. But in looking back, it's part of a unified whole. Arthur comes to power with the goal of creating a new, chivalrous existence for his kingdom and his people, a return to a kind of golden age where both the clash of arms and spiritual reverence coexist. But, although Arthur himself may be capable of such purity, almost everyone he gathers around him is not, and from the very beginning, the illicit love of Lancelot and Guinevere causes a cancer that rots his kingdom away from the inside out.
Those who are familiar with the story surrounding King Arthur will notice some changes that Tennyson adopted--probably the most obvious is the absence of Morgan La Fay, and that Mordred is only Arthur's nephew here, rather than the child of an incestuous union. At first, I thought that these changes would neuter the story, but in the end I decided they did not. Other characters take on different shades of personality--and mostly here I'm thinking of Sir Gawain, who, under Tennyson, is opportunistic and shallow. And the search for the Holy Grail is less an adventure in itself as it is an indication that Arthur failed to bring about the spiritual rebirth that he wanted. But I think these changes work well, considering that Tennyson was telling a different story than Mallory.
Altogether I found it absorbing and moving. Five stars
Suffice it to say that I realize now the only thing that makes someone a better person is what they do rather than what they know; great literature might assist in the decision making process by enlarging one's capacity for empathy, but as trophies on a shelf they don't mean much. Taking that into consideration, reading Idylls of the King back when I was a teenager (even assuming I would have finished it) would have been mostly useless, I think. It is a work of grace and beauty, but I would never have been able to see that. Probably all I would have been able to absorb was the fact that there was a lot less derring-do than I would have expected, and as a result, let the words pass in front of my eyes till I was done.
Without some help, that might also have been my experience all these decades later. Thankfully, I had Harold Littledale's Essays on Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King, a (fre)e-book I found on Google Books. I doubt that was the best resource, but it was enough, and the price was right. Reading one of Littledale's essays just prior to reading one of the idylls made a tremendous difference--since I was familiar with the story, spoilers weren't an issue, and with Littledale's short summary and some explanatory notes in hand, I was able to concentrate on the poetry rather than have to split my attention and try to divine the action at the same time.
Another GR poster summed up very succinctly my ideas about the Idylls before I'd started reading: "The title of this work...led me to believe that is would be a fairly cheerful work, but boy was I wrong." I took Idyll to mean idyllic, which made me think of innocence and pleasant summer days and happily ever afters. Instead, it struck me as a deeply melancholy book, with a spiritual subtext that added to the pervading sense of impending doom. This wasn't apparent in the beginning--the first five books held to what I initially expected, but with Balin and Balan, I thought there was a sharp turn in direction.
Or, at least, a sharp turn if you aren't expecting it. But in looking back, it's part of a unified whole. Arthur comes to power with the goal of creating a new, chivalrous existence for his kingdom and his people, a return to a kind of golden age where both the clash of arms and spiritual reverence coexist. But, although Arthur himself may be capable of such purity, almost everyone he gathers around him is not, and from the very beginning, the illicit love of Lancelot and Guinevere causes a cancer that rots his kingdom away from the inside out.
Those who are familiar with the story surrounding King Arthur will notice some changes that Tennyson adopted--probably the most obvious is the absence of Morgan La Fay, and that Mordred is only Arthur's nephew here, rather than the child of an incestuous union. At first, I thought that these changes would neuter the story, but in the end I decided they did not. Other characters take on different shades of personality--and mostly here I'm thinking of Sir Gawain, who, under Tennyson, is opportunistic and shallow. And the search for the Holy Grail is less an adventure in itself as it is an indication that Arthur failed to bring about the spiritual rebirth that he wanted. But I think these changes work well, considering that Tennyson was telling a different story than Mallory.
Altogether I found it absorbing and moving. Five stars
July 19, 2009
I have read my softcover copy so many times it is falling apart. I really need to get a nice, illustrated, hard cover. I read this book several times a year. And sob hysterically at the end so that I can hardly finish. The saddest lines for me are (spoken by Arthur to Guinevere visiting her in the nunnery before the final battle with Modred):
"Thou hast not made my life so sweet to me,
That I the King should greatly care to live;
For thou hast spoilt the purpose of my life."
The agony in those lines! And her lying there, with her head in the sand at his feet, too ashamaed to even look at him, and him heartbroken, and yet, still he must be king. Having just come from battling his best friend and best knight and knowing he rides off to his death. It's awful. The poetry is not only beautiful, but in such short bursts, Tennyson is able to capture such powerful emotions.
"Thou hast not made my life so sweet to me,
That I the King should greatly care to live;
For thou hast spoilt the purpose of my life."
The agony in those lines! And her lying there, with her head in the sand at his feet, too ashamaed to even look at him, and him heartbroken, and yet, still he must be king. Having just come from battling his best friend and best knight and knowing he rides off to his death. It's awful. The poetry is not only beautiful, but in such short bursts, Tennyson is able to capture such powerful emotions.
April 24, 2025
I had high hopes for Idylls of the King. Tennyson’s poem Ulysses stands as a Colossus in my life — a poetic milestone. So I approached this poetic interpretation of the Arthurian Cycle ready to be wowed. I picked April poetry month to finally tackle this volume that has been on my to read list for years.
What I discovered was a story unnecessarily stuffed and gilded like a badly decorated Victorian drawing room. Tennyson added bombast without adding value, leaving me bored and disappointed.
What I discovered was a story unnecessarily stuffed and gilded like a badly decorated Victorian drawing room. Tennyson added bombast without adding value, leaving me bored and disappointed.
December 14, 2012
As usual, I thought right up there the short story of Balin, who is to blame for his own tragedy ('My violences, my violences!').
Darker than I had expected and gutsier. I think I decided to read this at last after I saw a book on Tennyson's battle poetry. How he wrote 54 battle poems and had a genuine feel for the 'heroic ethos' of ancient fiction to which he was devoted. Fair enough, I thought. Tried a couple of short ones: his Boadicea is as bloody as she came, and I throbbed to 'The Revenge: a Ballad of the Fleet'. I even felt the tribute in his Ode on Wellington.
I think he's a gorgeous poet, on the whole, although I'd make cuts. The guy can write.
Arthur is his hero, and not Lancelot. This isn't the courtly love version, but the version where a self-indulgent love corrupts a heroic kingdom. Arthur's certainly a fighting king against pagans. Give him a pagan, he can let loose without qualms and soar with the sword.
The comedy can be faux-medieval -- I mean you think of those silly films in tights, but perhaps comedy wasn't his forte. I expect tragedy is, and melancholy.
Again, I'll have Balin, ten pages of him, gut-wrenchingly tragic and very darkly done. But I'd say that about Malory's Balin. Which proves to me Tennyson was awake to the old authentic stuff, though he's often condemned for Victorian.
Darker than I had expected and gutsier. I think I decided to read this at last after I saw a book on Tennyson's battle poetry. How he wrote 54 battle poems and had a genuine feel for the 'heroic ethos' of ancient fiction to which he was devoted. Fair enough, I thought. Tried a couple of short ones: his Boadicea is as bloody as she came, and I throbbed to 'The Revenge: a Ballad of the Fleet'. I even felt the tribute in his Ode on Wellington.
I think he's a gorgeous poet, on the whole, although I'd make cuts. The guy can write.
Arthur is his hero, and not Lancelot. This isn't the courtly love version, but the version where a self-indulgent love corrupts a heroic kingdom. Arthur's certainly a fighting king against pagans. Give him a pagan, he can let loose without qualms and soar with the sword.
The comedy can be faux-medieval -- I mean you think of those silly films in tights, but perhaps comedy wasn't his forte. I expect tragedy is, and melancholy.
Again, I'll have Balin, ten pages of him, gut-wrenchingly tragic and very darkly done. But I'd say that about Malory's Balin. Which proves to me Tennyson was awake to the old authentic stuff, though he's often condemned for Victorian.
March 10, 2016
Tennyson's poetry is some of the most beautiful I've encountered (admittedly, not saying much, because my acquaintance with poetry is slight): his turns of phrase and the pictures he paints are wonderfully evocative, and there's an eerie mysticism in stories like "The Holy Grail." Even the fatalism -- as the idylls begin in spring and descend into a thoroughly gloomy autumn -- draws you in. Of course, since the unifying theme is the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere and the chaos it brings, and since except for the first two stories the idylls are dark as all get out, it's also a depressing read. Also, as in many iterations of the Arthurian legend, there are the obvious spiritual parallels drawn between Arthur and Christ that always strike me as singularly suspect.
"But the other swiftly strode from ridge to ridge,
Clothed with his breath, and looking, as he walk'd,
Larger than human on the frozen hills." - The Passing of Arthur, 349-351
"Then from dawn it seem'd there came, but faint
As from beyond the limit of the world,
Like the last echo born of a great cry,
Sounds, as if some fair city were one voice
Around a king returning from his wars." - The Passing of Arthur, 457-461
"But the other swiftly strode from ridge to ridge,
Clothed with his breath, and looking, as he walk'd,
Larger than human on the frozen hills." - The Passing of Arthur, 349-351
"Then from dawn it seem'd there came, but faint
As from beyond the limit of the world,
Like the last echo born of a great cry,
Sounds, as if some fair city were one voice
Around a king returning from his wars." - The Passing of Arthur, 457-461
August 5, 2008
This book was every bit as beautiful as I could imagine. I had previously loved and read The Lady of Shalott. Idylls, however, is a testament to his love and knowledge of Arthurian legend.
You'll likely walk away from this book with lots of favorite passages. And you might fall in love with the characters of this legend all over again.
Lancelot - "...a dying fire of madness in his eyes"
Percivale - "Had heaven appear'd so blue, nor earth so green, For all my blood danced in me, and I knew That I should light up on the Holy Grail."
Arthur - "...my Lancelot, thou in whom I have most joy and most affiance, for I know What thou hast been in battle by my side... "
I love reading Malory's M d'A, but Tennyson's poetry really wraps heartand soul around his interpretation of Malory.
These poems were also another living dedication to Tennyson's lost friend Arthur Hallam.
Fans of the Arthur legend shouldn't put off reading Idylls any longer!
You'll likely walk away from this book with lots of favorite passages. And you might fall in love with the characters of this legend all over again.
Lancelot - "...a dying fire of madness in his eyes"
Percivale - "Had heaven appear'd so blue, nor earth so green, For all my blood danced in me, and I knew That I should light up on the Holy Grail."
Arthur - "...my Lancelot, thou in whom I have most joy and most affiance, for I know What thou hast been in battle by my side... "
I love reading Malory's M d'A, but Tennyson's poetry really wraps heartand soul around his interpretation of Malory.
These poems were also another living dedication to Tennyson's lost friend Arthur Hallam.
Fans of the Arthur legend shouldn't put off reading Idylls any longer!
May 10, 2022
Hard to imagine a more beautiful or stirring treatment of Arthurian legend than this masterwork of poetry in blank verse. More than that there’s a high level of psychological sophistication at play here which makes this a mature work rather than mere fable telling. Not only do the stories live but the characters live as real people.
Idylls is broken up into short pieces usually focused on a character or two. Perhaps my favorite was “Merlin and Vivian” in which the pleadings of Vivian for Merlin’s chant grow steadily more intense. Most of the verse is dialogue so it has a Shakespearean feel to it. There’s almost no nature poetry; between the dialogue it is mostly narrative.
Certain themes overhang each story the main one being the undermining of King Arthur’s court by the love between Guinevere and Lancelot. This love seems to be common knowledge of everyone but King Arthur, but that underlying corruption insinuates itself into the Arthurian world and undermines the moral authority of King Arthur and his Round Table.
The poetry is always excellent and very consistent in quality, occasionally reaching in moments towards sublime beauty but not so much as to detract from the seriousness or tone of the writing. Tennyson is a storyteller more than a striver. But what incredible stories. Arthurian legend has such a rich weirdness to it (“weird” is a word Tennyson uses a lot), one wonders what bardic genius came up with it all. The rich individual characterization of the knights is particularly interesting.
I feel like I can recommend this work to anyone, there’s almost nothing in here not to like except I occasionally needed a dictionary to make sense of something. It’s not just for people with a fondness for Arthurian legend or for poetry, it’s a book that could be enjoyed by anyone, but I wouldn’t call it a children’s book, it’s serious adult writing. Strangely it didn’t come across as “dated” or “antiquated” mostly because of the richly drawn psychologies of the complex characters. And those concerned about the subject matter from a feminist perspective might find the stories of Vivien, Ettarre and Lynette to be symbols of empowerment (even if Tennyson reveals some misogyny in calling my personal favorite Vivien a “harlot”), although the pathetic Elaine leaves much to be desired, although her post-death plan is a work of genius and the inspiration for much artwork and additional poetry as the Lady of Shallot.
Addendum: just felt like adding onto this review for my GR friends who are writers that this book was a gold mine of inspiration for my poetry with three very solid poems coming out of it: one a modern comical treatment of the Gareth and Lynette story, another one Merlin-based and then a stirring treatment of Peleas and Ettarre. There are eternal truths buried in these legends and their often unusual details are irresistible, plus I just love the names. So if you need inspiration there’s a lot here to work with.
Idylls is broken up into short pieces usually focused on a character or two. Perhaps my favorite was “Merlin and Vivian” in which the pleadings of Vivian for Merlin’s chant grow steadily more intense. Most of the verse is dialogue so it has a Shakespearean feel to it. There’s almost no nature poetry; between the dialogue it is mostly narrative.
Certain themes overhang each story the main one being the undermining of King Arthur’s court by the love between Guinevere and Lancelot. This love seems to be common knowledge of everyone but King Arthur, but that underlying corruption insinuates itself into the Arthurian world and undermines the moral authority of King Arthur and his Round Table.
The poetry is always excellent and very consistent in quality, occasionally reaching in moments towards sublime beauty but not so much as to detract from the seriousness or tone of the writing. Tennyson is a storyteller more than a striver. But what incredible stories. Arthurian legend has such a rich weirdness to it (“weird” is a word Tennyson uses a lot), one wonders what bardic genius came up with it all. The rich individual characterization of the knights is particularly interesting.
I feel like I can recommend this work to anyone, there’s almost nothing in here not to like except I occasionally needed a dictionary to make sense of something. It’s not just for people with a fondness for Arthurian legend or for poetry, it’s a book that could be enjoyed by anyone, but I wouldn’t call it a children’s book, it’s serious adult writing. Strangely it didn’t come across as “dated” or “antiquated” mostly because of the richly drawn psychologies of the complex characters. And those concerned about the subject matter from a feminist perspective might find the stories of Vivien, Ettarre and Lynette to be symbols of empowerment (even if Tennyson reveals some misogyny in calling my personal favorite Vivien a “harlot”), although the pathetic Elaine leaves much to be desired, although her post-death plan is a work of genius and the inspiration for much artwork and additional poetry as the Lady of Shallot.
Addendum: just felt like adding onto this review for my GR friends who are writers that this book was a gold mine of inspiration for my poetry with three very solid poems coming out of it: one a modern comical treatment of the Gareth and Lynette story, another one Merlin-based and then a stirring treatment of Peleas and Ettarre. There are eternal truths buried in these legends and their often unusual details are irresistible, plus I just love the names. So if you need inspiration there’s a lot here to work with.
February 14, 2016
Crying. Crying again? How many times have I read the death of King Arthur in several retellings and yet his final moments still cause my heart to cry out in despair? Guinevere and Lancelot's exposed affair, the fall of the Round Table, Mordred's betrayal...it all comes crumbling down.
Loved the way Tennyson evolved the legend but at the same time kept the 12th century atmosphere intact.
Loved the way Tennyson evolved the legend but at the same time kept the 12th century atmosphere intact.
April 29, 2023
luv it
April 21, 2023
A veritable feast for the imagination. I think Tennyson is the 19th-century Tolkien. His verse is incredibly natural and mellifluous such that he doesn't need to resort to extravagant language or hijinks, but the images and metaphors he treats us to belong to the highest poet's arsenal. He's obsessed with the mythos at the source of Europe and believes that a revival of that subject matter and traditional ways of engaging reality is the highest calling of the literary artist. And nary twenty pages ever go by without the insertion of a song within the poem. Surely those who love poetic beauty will want to make reading this cycle a high priority, but what appeals most to me about it is Tennyson's mastery of the classical mode of romance: literature that hangs on the threshold of heaven, earth, and hell; which, after all, is but a heightening of life as it is really experienced. The poems are not necessarily a single unit, but read chronologically, they come across as a remarkable narrative. From the classic tales of high chivalric adventure with comic endings that begin the cycle, to the superb melancholic tragedies of the final great poems, Tennyson charts the odyssey of a Europe torn between "sense and soul," and what happens when golden splendor and prosperity come up against deadly impulse and passion: Romantic concerns, yes, but Tennyson does a great job at not totally warping the stories into anachronistic sermons in the spirit of German Mythic Romanticism as Wagner would doubtless have done had he turned the Matter of Britain into a gesamtkunstwerk. He is respectful toward his source material and the result is one of the high points of British Romanticism.
August 27, 2014
Just finished this one for my Victorian Literature seminar. I will admit that the prospect of reading a 300+ page long poem was daunting, but well, well worth it. I have always admired Tennyson's work. This one is a bit different though. The language is not as resonant, but the imagery is spectacularly beautiful. Also, lots of lovely moments of universal truth within the story. They pop out of nowhere sometimes. The characters have a liquid, uncertain quality, bringing a whole lot of ambiguity to this story that has been told so many times. The reader is asked over and over to suspend disbelief, not in order to understand, but to become immersed in the imaginary and the inevitable loss of boundaries. Over and over again we are fooled into believing the quickly dissipating fantasy of Tennyson's imagery. Why does Tennyson do this? I feel he did this in order to highlight the vain search for the truth of who we are and how others see us. We need to allow the mist of our emotions to yield and dissipate a little into order to see the truth of the reality of our lives. Beautifully composed, showing King Arthur in an entirely new light. 5 stars
April 2, 2024
Poetic version of the arthurian legends. I have to say i have zero interest in arthurian mythology but thats ok because this isn't about myths and legends this is about people.
These poems have a remarkable amount of humanity in them. There are so many surprises and characters act in very human but unexpected ways. Also the magical elements of the myths are mostly minimized or made ambiguous.
Other poetry epics like Orlando Furiouso or the Faerie Queene tend to be very good on the action this less so with most action taking place between the lines. However thats ok because it's again about people not events.
The only real flaw is that each section is a bit long for a comfortable read in one go at least for me.
One other small complaint is that it mixes in the Tristan and Isolde legend, so is your not familiar with that you may get confused as it assumes you already know it, i had to wiki it.
This is really like a modern film adaptation taking modern issues and viewpoints and clothing them in the arthurian lengendry, i like.
These poems have a remarkable amount of humanity in them. There are so many surprises and characters act in very human but unexpected ways. Also the magical elements of the myths are mostly minimized or made ambiguous.
Other poetry epics like Orlando Furiouso or the Faerie Queene tend to be very good on the action this less so with most action taking place between the lines. However thats ok because it's again about people not events.
The only real flaw is that each section is a bit long for a comfortable read in one go at least for me.
One other small complaint is that it mixes in the Tristan and Isolde legend, so is your not familiar with that you may get confused as it assumes you already know it, i had to wiki it.
This is really like a modern film adaptation taking modern issues and viewpoints and clothing them in the arthurian lengendry, i like.
August 29, 2016
Free download available at eBooks@Adelaide.
From BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3:
Alfred Lord Tennyson's epic poem The Idylls of the King, narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith and adapted by Michael Symmons Roberts.
From BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3:
Alfred Lord Tennyson's epic poem The Idylls of the King, narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith and adapted by Michael Symmons Roberts.
February 1, 2014
I have more read "in" this than read it "through" at once. I found I loved Tennyson at a time when I had, quite a bit of time on my hands. Tennyson has a voice unlike any you'll find in contemporary writing. In this and other verse he conveys action and emotion. He seems obsessed with misunderstanding, rumor and false assumptions.
Excellently expressed. Enjoy.
Excellently expressed. Enjoy.
May 13, 2013
Geraint & Enid still rock, although today their story would probably be featured on an episode of
Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?
on the Investigation Discovery channel.
Ain't no wimmens gonna put up with a control-freak like Sir Geraint. Just sayin'...
Ain't no wimmens gonna put up with a control-freak like Sir Geraint. Just sayin'...
June 1, 2021
@Megan (Chappie... this is awkward, because you don't go by "Megan Chappie" anymore, but I know other Megans on Goodreads, and I need some way to designate which one I mean. XD) I can't remember how the recommendation of this book came up, but I do remember that we were talking about our distain/hatred of Lancelot, and you said that this one was *better* about that, and it was Alfred, Lord Tennyson for crying out loud, and I decided I had to read it.
Reader, I was correct. I did have to read it.
Because ARGH I don't even know where to start! England! The Round Table! A more-balanced view of the knights-errant! The story of the Kitchen Knight! The mythos of Arthur, and his goodness! (The poor man. He expects everyone to be as good as he is. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing...it's just Not True.) The incorporation of Catholicism throughout the whole! The story of Elaine!!! (Somehow I had missed that one when I read Arthuriana as a younger person? I don't know how...but I love it.) Also, Geraint and Enid? How did I not read that one? THE MOMENT WHERE HE JUMPS UP AND KILLS THE DUDE, 'scuse me I'll be fangirling in the corner.
And this is all married to Tennyson's fantastic poetry--his sense of meter is flawless, and WOW there is a reason why he's one of my favorite poets. (I've been in love with his poetry ever since I heard "Ulysses", and also "Crossing the Bar". If you haven't read them...go do it. :)) Just...there's SO MUCH that's sublime here!
(Possible favorite quote of the month:
"If thou shouldst never see my face again,
Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of.")
Now to Lancelot and Guinevere: YES! Lancelot feels bad! The whole Round Table gossips! There's consequences and scandal! And I shouldn't say it's perfect, because it's not, but Lancelot's guilt and sorrow goes a LONG way to making it much better than any other version I've read. (The moment where he says that there is a weed entwined with the flower of his chivalry...*crying*) And then the part at the end when Arthur extends mercy to Guinevere, and makes it clear that he still loves her...*crying intensifies*
I love all the nods to the actual origin of the myth of Arthur...a British chieftain right after the Roman period, I believe? Those were fun.
(But I will always laugh at the quest for the Holy Grail, knowing that a) Peter probably used it to celebrate Mass, so there's no way Joseph of Arimathea took it and b) we ACTUALLY KNOW WHERE IT IS and always have (except for a brief period during the dark ages). It's at a church in Spain, if you're wondering. (I KNOW, RIGHT?))
Definitely 4 stars, and probably higher on a reread!
Reader, I was correct. I did have to read it.
Because ARGH I don't even know where to start! England! The Round Table! A more-balanced view of the knights-errant! The story of the Kitchen Knight! The mythos of Arthur, and his goodness! (The poor man. He expects everyone to be as good as he is. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing...it's just Not True.) The incorporation of Catholicism throughout the whole! The story of Elaine!!! (Somehow I had missed that one when I read Arthuriana as a younger person? I don't know how...but I love it.) Also, Geraint and Enid? How did I not read that one? THE MOMENT WHERE HE JUMPS UP AND KILLS THE DUDE, 'scuse me I'll be fangirling in the corner.
And this is all married to Tennyson's fantastic poetry--his sense of meter is flawless, and WOW there is a reason why he's one of my favorite poets. (I've been in love with his poetry ever since I heard "Ulysses", and also "Crossing the Bar". If you haven't read them...go do it. :)) Just...there's SO MUCH that's sublime here!
(Possible favorite quote of the month:
"If thou shouldst never see my face again,
Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of.")
Now to Lancelot and Guinevere: YES! Lancelot feels bad! The whole Round Table gossips! There's consequences and scandal! And I shouldn't say it's perfect, because it's not, but Lancelot's guilt and sorrow goes a LONG way to making it much better than any other version I've read. (The moment where he says that there is a weed entwined with the flower of his chivalry...*crying*) And then the part at the end when Arthur extends mercy to Guinevere, and makes it clear that he still loves her...*crying intensifies*
I love all the nods to the actual origin of the myth of Arthur...a British chieftain right after the Roman period, I believe? Those were fun.
(But I will always laugh at the quest for the Holy Grail, knowing that a) Peter probably used it to celebrate Mass, so there's no way Joseph of Arimathea took it and b) we ACTUALLY KNOW WHERE IT IS and always have (except for a brief period during the dark ages). It's at a church in Spain, if you're wondering. (I KNOW, RIGHT?))
Definitely 4 stars, and probably higher on a reread!
February 22, 2018
“So far, that my doom is, I love thee still.
Let no man dream but that I love thee still.
Perchance, and thou purify thy soul,
And so thou lean on our fair father Christ,
Hereafter in that world where all are pure
We two may meet before High God, and thou
Wilt spring to me, and claim me thine, and know
I am thine husband—not a smaller soul,
Nor Lancelot, nor another. Leave me that,
I charge thee, my last hope.”
****************************************************
I’ve spent the last three months reading this aloud to my teenage son, and it’s among the best things we’ve ever done together in our decade of home education. The beauty, nobility, and pathos of this poem have led to rich discussions. I’ll always treasure the memory that we did this together.
Let no man dream but that I love thee still.
Perchance, and thou purify thy soul,
And so thou lean on our fair father Christ,
Hereafter in that world where all are pure
We two may meet before High God, and thou
Wilt spring to me, and claim me thine, and know
I am thine husband—not a smaller soul,
Nor Lancelot, nor another. Leave me that,
I charge thee, my last hope.”
****************************************************
I’ve spent the last three months reading this aloud to my teenage son, and it’s among the best things we’ve ever done together in our decade of home education. The beauty, nobility, and pathos of this poem have led to rich discussions. I’ll always treasure the memory that we did this together.
February 20, 2023
Tennyson, an excellent poet (longest tenured poet laureate in British history), retells the story of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table in blank verse. He uses the venue of the ancient Arthurian legends to analyze questions that were facing his 19th-century British society and which are also important today. Some of these questions, which are good to think about while reading, are:
*Why do societies rise and fall?
*How do we justify the value of truth and fidelity when others around us don't share those values?
*How do we deal with guilt and shame?
*What does it mean to be loyal/honest/noble/honorable?
*How do we live faithfully with what we've been given?
*How do we build and sustain a culture of morality in our organizations and communities?
"Man's word is God in man"
*Why do societies rise and fall?
*How do we justify the value of truth and fidelity when others around us don't share those values?
*How do we deal with guilt and shame?
*What does it mean to be loyal/honest/noble/honorable?
*How do we live faithfully with what we've been given?
*How do we build and sustain a culture of morality in our organizations and communities?
"Man's word is God in man"
February 16, 2012
Idylls of the King is a poetical reworking of the classic tales by Tennyson. It is absolutely breathtaking in its prose, lyrical, but coherent. Flowery without being polluted. It certainly helps to be familiar with the lesser known tales of Arthur's court (such as Balin and Balon) otherwise the reader may have a more difficult time understanding the work.
It really pulls at your heartstrings. You really come to hate all the women of the court, Guinevere most of all. How something written so long ago, about a tale even older, can still put so strongly at your emotions is truly indicative of how marvelous and passionate this work is.
It really pulls at your heartstrings. You really come to hate all the women of the court, Guinevere most of all. How something written so long ago, about a tale even older, can still put so strongly at your emotions is truly indicative of how marvelous and passionate this work is.
Read
November 10, 2020Whatever you think of Tennyson’s overall project here, you cannot deny that his poetry is utterly stunning. It is rewarding to study complex texts that make me better understand problematic narratives we have inherited while also letting me read gorgeous poetry.
owned-tbr
March 30, 2024I need more Tennyson in my reading life
September 1, 2024
I struggled to rate this book; it so very different and haunting beautiful in its own right. There are moments when it sings. This is a wonderful collection of poems. I am so thankful that I had the chance to read them once, and I hope to revisit often!
January 28, 2016
Idylls of the King is a compilation of narrative poems about King Arthur and his companions, based off Sir Thomas Malory’s seminal Le Morte d’Arthur of the fifteenth century. Tennyson published the first poems, “Enid,” “Vivien,” “Elaine,” and “Guinevere” in 1859, and seven more in the years following until the last one, “Balin and Balan,” came out in 1885.
You may be like me and a bit confused about what “idyll” means:
literary piece about charming rural life: a short work in verse or prose, a painting, or a piece of music depicting simple pastoral or rural scenes and the life of country folk, often in an idealized way
(Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)
So there you are. These idylls certainly did paint life in an idealized, pastoral form: knights were mighty, ladies were beautiful, nature was splendid, so on and so forth. It was fun to read the Victorian sentimentality, not only about idealized beauty, but the melodrama and over-the-top tragic deaths. Well, obviously fun isn’t the right word…but I had to read with a touch of amusement or it’d be too depressing. As it was, I was surprised that so many of the stories were tragedies. Camelot was supposedly a magically wonderful place, but more was said about it crumbling than about the good things that happened there. Guinevere and Lancelot’s love affair was touched on in almost every poem, and you’ll discover its implications if you read to the end of the Idylls. Quite sad. Idylls really depicted human imperfection and the tragedies that result from it. Nevertheless, “Guinevere,” the poem where Arthur confronts his queen, was one of my favorites, because of its profound portrayal of forgiveness and repentance. But my other favorite was “Gareth and Lynette,” one of the rare happy stories, and certainly the most lighthearted.
Here is a list of the idylls:
The Coming of Arthur
The Round Table:
Gareth and Lynette
The Marriage of Geraint
Geraint and Enid [formerly one poem called Enid]
Balin and Balan
Merlin and Vivien
Lancelot and Elaine
The Holy Grail
Pelleas and Ettarre
The Last Tournament
Guinevere
The Passing of Arthur
I really enjoyed the Idylls. It had been on my to-read list for a while. Though it took me several pages to get into it, like most writing styles, I just had to get used to it—and then I loved it. The verses are beautiful. Poetry can give a writer an excuse to say things in a flowery, lyrical way, and no one minds because it’s poetry. The story and clarity are not as important as the shape of the lines. And while it may not be the most artistic or profound verse in existence, I was still often delighted by the new ways Tennyson’s writing phrased or imagined something:
“See here, my child, how fresh the colours look,
How fast they hold, like colors of a shell
That keeps the wear and polish of the wave.”
~*~
“And then
Stream’d thro’ my cell a cold and silver beam,
And down the long beam stole the Holy Grail,
Rose-red with beatings in it, as if alive,
Till all the white walls of my cell were dyed
With rosy colors leaping on the wall”
“The Passing of Arthur,” at the very end, had me reading almost all of it aloud to myself. I’m not typically a poetry person, but Idylls captured me tightly enough to pant over it like poetry enthusiasts pant over their favorite poems.
My favorite character was Arthur, but he was too busy respectably ruling Camelot to have adventures like his knights, so he didn’t show up a lot in most of the stories. But I did enjoy “The Passing of Arthur” quite a bit because we finally got an endearing, vulnerable description of him, a splendid, wounded lion quiet and still enough for us to study him.
Sometimes ambiguous endings are the most powerful. The question at the end of the end makes me tingle: Did King Arthur really die? Is he coming back? When his country needs him most, will he reappear?
You may be like me and a bit confused about what “idyll” means:
literary piece about charming rural life: a short work in verse or prose, a painting, or a piece of music depicting simple pastoral or rural scenes and the life of country folk, often in an idealized way
(Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)
So there you are. These idylls certainly did paint life in an idealized, pastoral form: knights were mighty, ladies were beautiful, nature was splendid, so on and so forth. It was fun to read the Victorian sentimentality, not only about idealized beauty, but the melodrama and over-the-top tragic deaths. Well, obviously fun isn’t the right word…but I had to read with a touch of amusement or it’d be too depressing. As it was, I was surprised that so many of the stories were tragedies. Camelot was supposedly a magically wonderful place, but more was said about it crumbling than about the good things that happened there. Guinevere and Lancelot’s love affair was touched on in almost every poem, and you’ll discover its implications if you read to the end of the Idylls. Quite sad. Idylls really depicted human imperfection and the tragedies that result from it. Nevertheless, “Guinevere,” the poem where Arthur confronts his queen, was one of my favorites, because of its profound portrayal of forgiveness and repentance. But my other favorite was “Gareth and Lynette,” one of the rare happy stories, and certainly the most lighthearted.
Here is a list of the idylls:
The Coming of Arthur
The Round Table:
Gareth and Lynette
The Marriage of Geraint
Geraint and Enid [formerly one poem called Enid]
Balin and Balan
Merlin and Vivien
Lancelot and Elaine
The Holy Grail
Pelleas and Ettarre
The Last Tournament
Guinevere
The Passing of Arthur
I really enjoyed the Idylls. It had been on my to-read list for a while. Though it took me several pages to get into it, like most writing styles, I just had to get used to it—and then I loved it. The verses are beautiful. Poetry can give a writer an excuse to say things in a flowery, lyrical way, and no one minds because it’s poetry. The story and clarity are not as important as the shape of the lines. And while it may not be the most artistic or profound verse in existence, I was still often delighted by the new ways Tennyson’s writing phrased or imagined something:
“See here, my child, how fresh the colours look,
How fast they hold, like colors of a shell
That keeps the wear and polish of the wave.”
~*~
“And then
Stream’d thro’ my cell a cold and silver beam,
And down the long beam stole the Holy Grail,
Rose-red with beatings in it, as if alive,
Till all the white walls of my cell were dyed
With rosy colors leaping on the wall”
“The Passing of Arthur,” at the very end, had me reading almost all of it aloud to myself. I’m not typically a poetry person, but Idylls captured me tightly enough to pant over it like poetry enthusiasts pant over their favorite poems.
My favorite character was Arthur, but he was too busy respectably ruling Camelot to have adventures like his knights, so he didn’t show up a lot in most of the stories. But I did enjoy “The Passing of Arthur” quite a bit because we finally got an endearing, vulnerable description of him, a splendid, wounded lion quiet and still enough for us to study him.
Sometimes ambiguous endings are the most powerful. The question at the end of the end makes me tingle: Did King Arthur really die? Is he coming back? When his country needs him most, will he reappear?
June 5, 2012
Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson was etched into my memory as a famouse classic from an early age thanks to the card game, "Authors." So now, sixty years later, I finally got around to seeing what the story was all about. The final nudge to read it came from a book group so I had the pleasure of discussing the book with others.
So what did I learn? It's the story of King Arthur in blank verse and iambic pentameter, about a hundred pages worth. It's divided into twelve different stories that are sparingly related to each other. I anticipated encountering the story about Arthur taking the sword out of the stone. But that story wasn't in the book; I guess that story was written another author.
The following are some unanswered questions. Is the Lady of the Lake a spirit, ghost or what? What is Merlin, a practitioner of magic, doing in a story that takes place in the Christian era? How could the story be so passionless, and at the same time have an adulterous affair between Lancelot and Guinevere?
It seemed to me that Tennyson was taking himself a bit too seriously. He was sort of saying, "Look at me. I'm writing this magnificent poem about the beginnings of English civilization. He dedicates it to Queen Victoria in memory of the deceased Prince Albert. Can't get anymore important that that!
The book is a chore to read, and I don't have the patience to truly appreciate it. I think it's a book that needs to read twice, once to read the story and a second time to appreciate the skillful word smithing and poem construction.
So what did I learn? It's the story of King Arthur in blank verse and iambic pentameter, about a hundred pages worth. It's divided into twelve different stories that are sparingly related to each other. I anticipated encountering the story about Arthur taking the sword out of the stone. But that story wasn't in the book; I guess that story was written another author.
The following are some unanswered questions. Is the Lady of the Lake a spirit, ghost or what? What is Merlin, a practitioner of magic, doing in a story that takes place in the Christian era? How could the story be so passionless, and at the same time have an adulterous affair between Lancelot and Guinevere?
It seemed to me that Tennyson was taking himself a bit too seriously. He was sort of saying, "Look at me. I'm writing this magnificent poem about the beginnings of English civilization. He dedicates it to Queen Victoria in memory of the deceased Prince Albert. Can't get anymore important that that!
The book is a chore to read, and I don't have the patience to truly appreciate it. I think it's a book that needs to read twice, once to read the story and a second time to appreciate the skillful word smithing and poem construction.
May 24, 2013
Tennyson combines Shakespeare, Chaucer and Mallory, then drains the blood from the chimera. He manages to make wealth, fame, war and love boring, which I suppose is an achievement of sorts.
Is iambic pentameter really interesting enough to sustain 260 pages? Does this text even benefit from being in verse? It just makes it more of a chore. Chop out the line breaks, I say, and patch together a piece of prose. Truncate the torture. I don't like blank verse generally: the last syllable of every line is stressed, then left there hanging, and when the next line doesn't rhyme it feels like an anti-climax every time. Tennyson has to contort the grammar to force it into pentameter: on p132 "Sir Lancelot went ambassador, at first". He did what? Is that like going ape or going postal? On p153 "Full simple was her answer" and on p260 we get "not fail" for "never once failing". This isn't poetic reconstruction, it's bad writing.
Because of my style-fascism I've so far overlooked a far bigger issue with the content. All - and I mean all - of the female characters are one-dimensional and detestable, an insipid ballet of Bella Swans. They're self-loathing and it's clear the author loathes them too. At worst they exist to hinder man, and at best they exist to admire him. Tennyson's verse is a veritable manifesto of misogyny.
There are writings by George Orwell which lead me to believe Tennyson's short-form poetry is very good, so perhaps I won't give up on him yet...but this book is a bore. Off with its head.
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October 31, 2019
"A deathwhite mist slept over sand and sea:
Whereof the chill, to him who breathed it, drew
Down with his blood, till all his heart was cold
With formless fear; and even on Arthur fell
Confusion, since he saw not whom he fought.
For friend and foe were shadows in the mist,
And friend slew friend not knowing whom he slew;
And some had visions out of golden youth,
And some beheld the faces of old ghosts
Look in upon the battle; and in the mist
Was many a noble deed, many a base,
And chance and craft and strength in single fights,
And ever and anon with host to host
Shocks, and the splintering spear, the hard mail hewn,
Shield-breakings, and the clash of brands, the crash
Of battleaxes on shattered helms, and shrieks
After the Christ, of those who falling down
Looked up for heaven, and only saw the mist;
And shouts of heathen and the traitor knights,
Oaths, insult, filth, and monstrous blasphemies,
Sweat, writhings, anguish, labouring of the lungs
In that close mist, and cryings for the light,
Moans of the dying, and voices of the dead."
Whereof the chill, to him who breathed it, drew
Down with his blood, till all his heart was cold
With formless fear; and even on Arthur fell
Confusion, since he saw not whom he fought.
For friend and foe were shadows in the mist,
And friend slew friend not knowing whom he slew;
And some had visions out of golden youth,
And some beheld the faces of old ghosts
Look in upon the battle; and in the mist
Was many a noble deed, many a base,
And chance and craft and strength in single fights,
And ever and anon with host to host
Shocks, and the splintering spear, the hard mail hewn,
Shield-breakings, and the clash of brands, the crash
Of battleaxes on shattered helms, and shrieks
After the Christ, of those who falling down
Looked up for heaven, and only saw the mist;
And shouts of heathen and the traitor knights,
Oaths, insult, filth, and monstrous blasphemies,
Sweat, writhings, anguish, labouring of the lungs
In that close mist, and cryings for the light,
Moans of the dying, and voices of the dead."
May 1, 2009
I could give you a hundred literary reasons to read these poems. I could talk about how Arthur mirrors Tennyson's own time. I could point out that Tennyson is one of the greats. The real reason why I love this book, why I love these poems is simply the poem "Gareth and Lynette". There are times when a reader feels truly connected to an author. Not in the sense of the written word being read, but in the sense of learning something about the author that also applies to the reader. For instance, learning A. S. Byatt also likes Terry Pratchett. When I reached the end of "Gareth and Lynette", when I read Tennyson's ending of that poem, it was one those moments. The "author feels extactly like I do about this" moments. That connection that can exist between a dead (or even living) author and a reader where both minds are in sync. Tennyson's work might be romantic, it might be heroic, but the ending of "Gareth” is oh so modern. Any modern woman would love it.
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