Alfred, Lord Tennyson

*In Memoriam A.H.H.* is often regarded by scholars as his greatest work — an expansive elegy crafted over seventeen years in memory of his friend Arthur Henry Hallam. However, when it comes to name recognition, "Ulysses" and "Crossing the Bar" are likely the poems that more people are familiar with.

A mix of harsh critical reviews of his 1832 collection and the death of his closest friend, Arthur Hallam, set him back significantly. He continued to write during the 1830s, but it wasn't until 1842 that he felt ready to face the public again, when *Poems* was released to a much more positive reception.

It's a brief, reflective poem on the theme of approaching death — the "bar" refers to the sandbar at the harbor's entrance, and crossing it symbolizes the transition from this life to whatever lies beyond. Tennyson composed it in his eighties and requested that it always be placed at the end of any collection of his works.

His early poetry, featuring medieval settings, vivid imagery, and a dark atmosphere, directly inspired painters and poets in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Artists such as John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt brought his verses to life in their illustrations, and his poems served as inspiration for some of their most well-known artworks.

It's complicated. *In Memoriam* grapples deeply with doubt — the poem was created during a time when geological and evolutionary science were challenging Victorian beliefs — and Tennyson doesn't settle for easy answers. He maintained a belief in God and immortality, but he approaches those beliefs as something he fought for rather than simply accepted.

The poem is a dramatic monologue where an aging Ulysses rejects the idea of a peaceful retirement and insists on embarking on one final journey into the unknown. Its closing lines — "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" — have a straightforward, powerful quality that lingers in the mind. Tennyson penned it shortly after Hallam's death, infusing it with genuine grief beneath the surface of defiance.

He held the position for forty-two years, from 1850 until his death in 1892, which makes him the longest-serving Poet Laureate ever. He took over from William Wordsworth.

Yes, but you need to choose your entry points carefully. At his best—in "Ulysses," *In Memoriam*, "Crossing the Bar," or "The Lotus-Eaters"—he addresses grief, doubt, and the passage of time in a way that's straightforward and free of Victorian embellishments. While some of his longer pieces may feel a bit outdated, his finest poems remain timeless.