Spectacular dreamy/nightmarish visions of aging, youth, beauty and timeless images.

I am not an expert in critiquing photography, but I know what I like, so know this: Joyce Tenneson's work is incredible! If only more of her books were still in print...

But if you don't believe me, see for yourself.

Black and white photos may be all the rage for people who want poetic images, but Illuminations contains some of the most surreal, breathtakingly beautiful images I've ever seen. From the haunted old woman to the progression of the pregnant girl to the androgynous figures, every image in this book carries a power that reminds me of the cinematic.

The man that created poetry as an art, and held Europe at a stand still for nearly thirty five years as he held the title of Laurette, now finally his works become very obvious in his complete works, but nothing is more present of the fact then his poem "Odysses", a story about his life, through a myth, fable so to speak.
I grasp that to many times, becomes it feasts, yells, and then knows not me, exceptional is his play on words, and the game I so often play to control them.

Of Tennyson's poems, In Memoriam A. H. H. and Maud stand out as personal favourites. In these poems he evokes a gentle blend of melancholy, connectedness with the land and countryside, and a tangible sense of the eternity of life and nature and ones personal destiny within these. His poems are mesmerizing, his rhythmic language and masterful blending of words draws a reader in, and has a hypnotic effect. He isn't trite, clumsy, or contrived. His subjects share the spirit of the Pre-Raphaelite painter's subjects, they are often brooding, forlorn, existing an empty, melancholic, roaming life in a garden of Eden. To the reader, his subjects are real, full and beautiful and are at once human and metaphysical.

I am a mariner, in fact a rather old one. The Tennyson poem, Crossing the Bar, as I remember it as a young man and as I read it today as an old man, has taken on new meaning and touched the center of my sensibilities.

This is an excellent collection of Tennyson's poems,
very representative, very inclusive. In order to make
room for so many poems with full texts, the editor has
chosen not to include an Introduction. This, of course,
for the non-Tennyson reader or person wishing to know
more about him presents something of an obstacle. However,
a bit of rambling to one's own library, or a municipal
one, can solve that.
There is included a Chronology of important dates and
events concerning Tennyson's life. From this, a few of
the important facts seem to be: 1809--born at Somersby,
fourth son of Revd George Clayton Tennyson, Rector of
Somersby; 1816-1820--pupil at Louth Grammar School,
subsequently educated at home by his father; 1827--
publishes _Poems by Two Brothers_ with his brother
Charles, also enters Trinity College, Cambridge University;
1829--meets Arthur Henry Hallam, also a student at Trinity,
who was to become Tennyson's close friend and the fiance
of Tennyson's sister Emily, also wins the Chancellor's
Gold Medal with his prize poem "Timbuctoo", and becomes
a member of the "Apostles," a Cambridge debating society;
1830--publication of _Poems, Chiefly Lyrical_; 1831--death
of Tennyson's father, he leaves Cambridge without a
degree; 1833 (September) death of Hallam, his close
friend, from a cerebral hemorrhage while on holiday in
Vienna; 1840--beginning of almost a decade of depression
and ill health for Tennyson; 1850--marries Emily
Sellwood, appointed Poet Laureate of England; 1852--birth
of first son whom he names "Hallam"; 1883--accepts offer
of title of Baron, taking his seat in the House of
Lords in March 1884; 1892--dies on 6 October.
The poems in this anthology come from the major
publishings of Tennyson's poems. The first two:
"Timbuctoo" was published in the _Cambridge Chronicle
and Journal_ (1829) --and "The Idealist" was not
published during Tennyson's lifetime [this information

comes from the very good notes supplied by the Editor
Aidan Day at the back of the volume].
The poems included in this volume which the scholar or
general reader might wish to know are here collected
in one edition [full texts], along with many more
than these mentioned, are: The Lady of Shalott; Oenone;
The Palace of Art; The Hesperides; The Lotos-Eaters;
Morte d'Arthur; Ulysses; Locksley Hall; short poems
from _The Princess_; IN MEMORIAM, A.H.H. (1850);
MAUD (1855); Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington;
The Charge of the Light Brigade; Tithonous; Lucretius;
To E. FitzGerald; Tiresias; The Ancient Sage; Locksley
Hall Sixty Years After (1886); Demeter and Persephone;
Crossing the Bar. These poems are presented in
chronological order in the text, and the very good
Table of Contents in the front of the book tells
the poetry collection and its date from which the
poems come.
Tennyson is one of those interesting poets that take
a bit of time (at least for me) to get used to -- to
want to read, to really listen to. Having had the
experience of being required to memorize some of
Tennyson for my early academic training in school
at least got me acquainted with the more accessible,
but somewhat less deep poems. But it has taken several
years, much experience, and depressed grief over the
loss of a beloved, to bring me into synch with
the deeper poetry...or at least, being able to hear
it with deeper understanding, deeper reading.
From these poems it is hard to pick "favorites," and
that almost seems too trite a word. Maybe "meaningful"
would be more appropriate as a term. The two I would
select out would be "The Palace of Art" (1832; rev.
1842) and IN MEMORIAM, A.H.H. (1833), on the death
of his dear, beloved friend Arthur Hallam.
From "The Palace of Art," these lines resonate:
* * * * * * * * *
And with choice paintings of wise men I hung
The royal dais round.

For there was Milton like a seraph strong,
Beside him Shakespeare bland and mild;
And there the world-worn Dante grasp'd his song,
And somewhat grimly smiled.

And there the Ionian father of the rest;
A million wrinkles carved his skin;
A hundred winters snow'd upon his breast,
From cheek and throat and chin.
......
And thro' the topmost Oriels' coloured flame
Two godlike faces gazed below;
Plato the wise, and large-brow'd Verulam,
The first of those who know.

-- Arthur Lord Tennyson.
* * * * * * * *

This is an eminently readable collection of Tennyson's most memorable poems. Both the price and the content are of great value to today's readers. Our present times reflect stress and change which parrallels Tennyson's world. The poems are timeless and language is no barrier for a new millenium reader of this valient poet. For those looking for guidlines to courage and consistency, I recommend that you read and enjoy this book. Your gain will be ten-fold the price.

Gustave Dore first published these intricate and beautiful wood-engraved book illustrations for Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" in the 1860s. Though many, many fabulous illustrations have been created for the legends of King Arthur and his Court these still remain among the finest. This book contains 36 black and white plates, each 7 1/2" x 10" and thus nicely sized for optimal viewing of the exquisite detail. A corresponding excerpt from "Idylls of the King" is printed on the facing page of each plate. Dore captured the grandeur and opulence of courtly life, the mystery and magic of the legendary times of Arthur and Merlin, the medieval costumes, furnishings and architecture all with a brilliance that will transport you. Highly recommended!

Dore's art is fascinating. He matches his illustrations to the beauty and mystery of Idylls of the King.

In Memoriam is a breathtaking poem... written over a period of nearly two decades, Tennyson laments and exorcises the ghost of his friend Hallem, who had died at a young age. He struggles with his religious faith, asking himself, is his friend in Heaven or does Heaven not exist... if not, then what? Tennyson displays an unequaled sensitivity for and mastery of the English language as a tool for expressing feeling and mood, he has created in this poem a thing of great and uncommon beauty.

When I first began to read this book, it was in my Senior English class. At first I thought it would be some dumb poem. But as we read I became so enthralled I couldn't put it down. Alfred Tennyson wrote with such good emotion and truth I felt I knew what he was feeling. He describes so many emotions that most of us feel, and he did it so well. This is a very wonderful book! And although I have only read it once, that is all it took for me to know that it has become one of my favorite.

Busco "In Memoriam, Maud..." en español; u otros títulos

I chose this poem because I like war and also because Lord Tennyson Alfred is so descriptive. Tennyson Alfred used an idiom when he says "Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell," because the Light Brigade wasn't really coming back from Hell's jaws or the jaws of Death. I chose this poem also because it memorializes the suicidal charge that the Light Brigade made so valiantly against the Cossacks and Russians.

After many, many years of good intentions I finally read Tennyson's Idylls of the King. What a pleasure and delight. The poetry is impressive, and the depiction of the Round Table is epochal. I have also compared it to some of Mallory. While Mallory established the standard for the Arthurian legend (in English, at any rate), Tennyson's poetry is far more impressive. The stories themselves seem more impressive in Tennyson's sure hands. Unfortunately, I also made the mistake of watching "Camelot" on video recently; what a travesty. Guenevere is referred to as Ginny, Sir Lancelot is called Lance, and the over-all Hollywood approach is debasing and embarrassing. One could be turned off from Camelot forever as a result of this atrocious film. Let us give praise for Alfred Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King. It is magnificent!

This book takes on a seemingly hopless project: Rowlinson uses deconstructionist methods to show how Tennyson's poetry was influenced by psychoanalytic theory. The biggest problem with this work is that Tennyson predated Freud by 75 years or so, and Freud predated deconstructionism by 30 years or so, and deconstruction also predated Rowlinson himself by 25 years or so. Also, Tennyson is (on the surface at least) perhaps the least psychologically introspective poet since Homer. Rowlinson's work seems doomed from the start--- but it works, thanks to the author's fierce sense of humor and relentless intellect.

If Malory's "Le Morte D'Arthur" is the backbone of Arthurian literature, Tennyson's "Idylls" are its flesh and blood. In this extraordinary epic poem, Tennyson has transformed Malory's automatons to living and breathing characters, and infuses the legend of King Arthur with passionate intensity that had hitherto been absent. In addition to this, for the first time King Arthur's story, told in its immensity, becomes something more than a dry cataloguing of events or an excuse to have knights and derring-do: underlying "Idylls of the King" is a vision of tragedy and destiny only vaguely hinted at in Malory.

Admittedly, this is not the easiest thing in the world to read, but simply reading major parts is worth it, without necessarily following the story of Tristram or other such details. Most interesting in this poem is the relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot, which is complicated and sometimes dark. Tennyson's characters are complex beings, complete with inner shadows and desires which sometimes conflict with the ideals put forth by Arthur's "Table Round."

Since it is after all Tennyson, the language is breathtaking, though one familiar with his other poetry might be slightly regretful, as I was, that it occasionally lacks the power of his other poems. Perhaps this is to be expected, given the length: and since it is Tennyson, less powerful than his other work is still marvelous.

Some may be irritated by Tennyson's moralistic streak, which is hard to ignore, as well as the distinct parallels with Christianity which the poet introduces from time to time. The idea that women somehow embody all sin certainly makes an appearance here, as Guinevere is sometimes portrayed almost as evil incarnate.

Nonetheless, with its almost mystical undertones, beautiful language and psychological complexity, "Idylls of the King" is worth checking out, whether you are a fan of King Arthur or Tennyson; it is an epic which combines emotion and the magical, life and the legendary.

Idylls of the king is a harder read but the expirience is well worth it. Tennyson's language creates a vivid image in the mind of the reader. I would not expect someone without knowledge of King Arthur to like this book. But doing some background info is worth it just to read Tennyson's masterpiece. The mood set by Tennyson is quite captivating. As opposed th Lancelot and Guinevere's affair being in secret, Tennyson sets it up as a point of tension between knights. The story shows many qualities associated with chivalry but also shows what things a knight can do to disgrace himself (ex. Balin) If you do not think you want to read this whole book at least read the Idyll of Guinevere. The true character of Arthur is displayed as he forgives Guinevere before going off to die. Also this Idyll gives a new prospective to the relationship of Lancelot and the queen. Once again, it is a great book but do not jump right into it unprepared.

This lengthy poem about King Arthur's court is written in grand epic style, in the spirit of the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Paradise Lost, and drawing on these and other great epics. Tennyson follows many of the traditional epic conventions here--the epic similes, the epic quests, etc. But this work is not wholly an epic, it is rather more of a Romance. The book is divided into various sections, each dealing with a knight (or knights) of King Arthur's court. The adventures they encounter are various and only remotely connected, but there is a back story to each. Something is going on behind the scenes. The first part of the book deals with the rise of Arthur, and of the glory of his kingdom. The second part focuses on the gradual decline of his influence, and culminates with the King's discovery of Lancelot and Guinevere's affair.

This is one of my favorite Arthurian romances. Tennyson's verse is beautiful and vivid, and his story is both compelling and easy to follow. No study of English Romanticism would be complete without Tennyson, and this is one of his finest works.