His poem In Memoriam is described as “ a long poem made by putting together lyrics, which have only the unity and continuity of a diary, a diary of a man confessing himself” T. S. Elliot. The memorability of In Memoriam is achieved in numerous ways; Tennyson’s use of “light” and “dark” gives a chilling question of his state of existence in extracts such as “ My light is low” and “ The twilight of an eternal day.” The use of light and dark creates an image that shadows his feelings of self-pity and hope. “ Hope in the sunrise” shows how light and dark can affect a person’s mood and temperament, thus being very effective in reflecting Tennyson’s thoughts and feelings. Tennyson reflects on Faith foremostly by using imagery, which is in many ways effective as a whole picture is revealed for each individual. This is achieved in many ways; one is by using alliteration, whereby he uses monosyllabic words to create a different, bolder concept of his thoughts “ On the bald street breaks the blank day.” Vastness. This leads you to imagine Tennyson’s great sadness. The shortness and easiness of the sound made by the first letters allows the words to be spat out, but also as the words are monosyllabic, the words are over abruptly, without warning. This mimics the diminutive time of Hallam’s life. Pathetic fallacy is another crucial technique used to reflect on the melancholia of faith at the rehabilitation of his beliefs, “ The faithless oldness of the times” In Memoriam. In both In Memoriam and Vastness Tennyson’s use of metaphors is one of the most pictorial methods of clarifying his stage of trust in God, ”My faith is dry” In Memoriam. When Tennyson reflects on faith and trust it is common that for emphasis he uses repetition to highlight his principle thoughts; “ be near me” In Memoriam is repeated for the emphasis that he needs help and wants to trust although he has not the confidence in religion to completely trust God, due to the contemporary dispute between Science and religion, as well as the added grief of the sudden death of his best friend. Although it is not only imagery that contributes to the whole effect of Tennyson’s ideas and views on faith, it is also that his own personal experiences are included in the poems to create a truly chilling real life experience for the reader “ As slowly steals a silver flame, along the letters of thy name” In Memoriam.
Punctuation is another notable technique used by Tennyson to reveal his true thoughts. His gripping use of rhetorical questions involve the reader, dragging the reader to experience Tennyson’s thoughts and revolutions “ Swallow’d in Vastness, lost in silence, drown’d in the deeps of a meaningless past?” Vastness. Tennyson applies words such as “ meaningless”, “ Vastness” and “Silence” to give an impression of entrapment, as he has little faith in God although he wants God to “ Be near”, him this feeling of melancholia is predominantly due to Darwin’s “ Origin of the species”, the upturning of faith and the mortality and madness of his closest relations.
Tennyson’s use of caesural pauses gives the reader time to reflect on his intense statements concerning faith, “ What the philosophers, all the sciences, poesy, varying voices of prayer?” Tennyson uses rhythm and rhyme along with imagery to create a powerful deception of his thoughts in an interesting way, which determines the mood of each stanza, or the complete poem. In all the rhythm reflects the moods, as faith becomes either powerful or frail, the rhythm becomes brisker or ponderous. “Ring out the false, Ring in the true” In Memoriam is a brisk and powerful rhythm anticipating Tennyson’s positive thoughts, where as “ Doors where my heart used to beat, so quickly, waiting for a home “ is a ponderous rhythm that shows Tennyson is reflecting on the of his downcast thoughts on faith.
Sir Robert Peel is dead! Lord Palmerston is the successor! The Victorian era was a period of “ Politic perpetual grievance” Benjamin Disraeli. In many of Tennyson’s works especially as poet laureate, significant appearance to the topic of politics occurs frequently in numerous extracts of: The Charge of the Light brigade, Vastness and the “ unique” T.S Elliot poem In Memoriam. Much dispute and disruption of politics was linked to Darwin’s “ Origin of the species” and the current affairs of the Crimean war. Tennyson captures the havoc and “ perpetual grievance “of the contemporary politics in various methods using foremostly imagery and punctuation.
It is conventional that Tennyson repeatedly refers to politics as the left and right mimicking the labour and conservative parties. In The charge of the light Brigade Tennyson refers to “Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon in front of them “This particular quotation can be interpreted firstly as a picture of ominous bravery of the six hundred men of the light brigade, but secondly the quotation could be portrayed as the situation of contemporary politics. As the conventional citizen is bombarded with “ lies upon this side, lies upon that side” Charge of the Light Brigade. The citizen is “ Storm’d at with shot and shell” Charge of the Light Brigade. This quotation could also be interpreted in the same way by impersonating the current political affairs where by the politicians confuse the citizens with false statements, which lead them to support their party leading up to the vote for the election. Although, doubtlessly the quotation could also be interpreted as the current occurrences of the Crimean war, this can be notified by the alliteration of he monosyllabic words “ storm’d “, “ shot” and “ shell” which are spat out giving a sense of exasperated desolation.
“Raving politics” is predominantly discussed in extracts of Vastness. Tennyson uses various methods of communicating with the reader to register his views on Victorian politics. He initially refers to “Raving politics never at rest” but then expands and correlates to politics as a “ trouble of ants in a gleam of a million, million suns” Vastness. He uses repetition to intensify the “ Gleam of the million, million suns”, but he demeans the relevance of politics compared with a working ant. Which has a diminutive genuine purpose on earth compared with the sun, which is a source of life. Tennyson’s application of light and dark metaphorically resembles the “ pale” and dullness of life which is a typical pessimistic Victorian view of doubt and mortification that Victorian life is portrayed as compared to the “gleam “ of the “suns” in another distant realm.
Tennyson juxtaposes “ Death for the right cause, Death for the wrong cause” Vastness. This in numerous connections is related to the relevance of politics in Tennyson’s works. By juxtaposing the idea that not all death is for the “ right cause” he puts forward a revolutionary idea that the “popular torrent of lies upon lies” Vastness often published by politicians is the cause of “ trumpets of Victory, groans of defeat.” Vastness
Tennyson draws us towards the “ lies” of politics. It is probable that he felt , along with the vast confusion , and the absence of trust , that politics was only another deceitful campaign for the politicians’ personal image. He comments on “ honest poverty, bare to the bone” Vastness. This conveys that social changes in areas of poverty are trustworthy, as persons with diminutive class and wealth no not need to express “ lies upon lies” Vastness. As they do not have a creditable reputation to withhold, and therefore do not have to fabricate their past or their true identity.
“ Tennyson is a great poet, for the reasons that are perfectly clear. He has three qualities which are seldom found together except in the greatest poets: abundance, variety and complete competence.” T.S. Elliot
Tennyson’s poems greatly mirror the mortality and melancholia of his lifetime; this is particularly relevant in extracts of In Memoriam and Vastness. Great feelings of doubt and perplexity are exerted from In Memoriam, which I personally find to give the most compelling a distinctive message. I find that Tennyson’s application of effectual imagery is the most efficient technique used, which I personally think is why T.S. Elliot wrote “In Memoriam is unique” It is noticeable that although faith is foremostly dealt in; In Memoriam and politics is predominantly discused in Vastness, both poems give a message very different from the conventional view of “ Carpe diem”- Live for the day, which was a popular view in pre Victorian England.
“ Tennyson is in brilliant command of a dead language” Tom Paulin
