"Alfred Tennyson was a divided soul. He even wrote a poem called The Two Voices in which dual versions of himself argued out the pros and cons of suicide. In this illuminating book, Richard Holmes has chosen to focus on the lesser known of the poet's personae. The year 1850 was pivotal for Tennyson. He published the great poem sequence In Memoriam, over which he had laboured for nearly two decades. He became, as a result, both famous and rich."
"He had been living in rented homes with his mother and siblings, or dossing down with bachelor friends in London, or lurking alone in a ramshackle cottage on one of his native Lincolnshire's bleak beaches. Now he took a house where he could receive distinguished visitors. (When Prince Albert came calling, Tennyson was so far from obsequious that he forgot to invite the queen's consort to sit down, though he did at least offer the poor man a drink.) He was appointed poet laureate."
Alfred Tennyson experienced deep inner division and composed The Two Voices, in which conflicting selves debated the pros and cons of suicide. The year 1850 marked a turning point: he published In Memoriam after nearly twenty years of revision, acquired fame and wealth, and married after a fourteen-year courtship. Earlier years saw him living in rented homes with his mother and siblings, staying with bachelor friends in London, or isolating himself in a ramshackle Lincolnshire cottage. He later took a house to receive distinguished visitors and was appointed poet laureate. His youth combined wild talent, imposing presence, melancholy, and difficult family circumstances.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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