Tennyson and Browning

Tennyson: The Representative Literary Figure of the Victorian Era

The Victorian era (1837–1901) stands as one of the most transformative periods in British history, marked by social change, industrial progress, and the burgeoning of scientific discoveries. At the heart of this intellectual and cultural shift lies a rich literary tradition, and of all the poets who shaped the literary landscape of the time, Alfred Lord Tennyson stands as its most prominent figure. His poetry not only reflects the concerns and anxieties of the Victorian age but also encapsulates the era’s aesthetic, moral, and intellectual debates.

1. Tennyson's Personal and Literary Background

Born in 1809, Tennyson's life spanned most of the Victorian era. He rose to prominence in the 1830s and quickly became a defining voice of the period. His works engaged deeply with the intellectual currents of his time, grappling with the questions of faith, doubt, and the changing role of tradition in the face of new scientific paradigms. As poet laureate from 1850 until his death in 1892, Tennyson held the prestigious position of representing the nation’s cultural voice during some of its most significant moments, including the Crimean War, the Industrial Revolution, and the height of British imperialism.

Tennyson’s works provided a blend of melancholy, grandeur, and philosophical inquiry—qualities that mirror the contradictions and complexities of the Victorian age. His poetry captures the tension between Victorian optimism and anxiety, especially in relation to science, religion, and the shifting social order. Whether through his stirring narrative poems like The Charge of the Light Brigade or introspective meditations like In Memoriam, Tennyson’s poetry not only reflects the spirit of the time but also seeks to offer answers to some of the most pressing questions facing society.

2. Major Themes in Tennyson's Work

Faith and Doubt

One of the most dominant themes in Tennyson’s poetry is the tension between faith and doubt, a theme that resonated deeply in the Victorian era as the rapid advances of science, especially Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, posed challenges to traditional religious views. In In Memoriam, Tennyson grapples with personal grief and the broader existential question of human mortality in a world that appears increasingly bereft of divine certainties. The poem famously balances a sense of despair with an eventual, albeit tentative, return to faith:

“Be near me when my light is low,

When the blood creeps, and the nerves prick

And tingle; and the heart is sick,

And all the wheels of Being slow.”

Science and Progress

As the Victorian period was also an age of scientific discovery, Tennyson’s work often reflects the tensions between religion and science. In The Two Voices, Tennyson explores these competing ideologies. One voice in the poem represents the cold, mechanistic view of the universe, while the other expresses hope, faith, and the possibility of transcendence. The poem suggests that despite the advance of knowledge, there remains a deep yearning for spiritual truth that science cannot fully satisfy.

The Heroic and the Ideal

Tennyson also embraced themes of heroism, moral duty, and the pursuit of the ideal, which were central to Victorian values. His epic poems, including Idylls of the King, which reimagines the Arthurian legends, reflect his belief in the possibility of noble ideals even amidst the trials and failings of human life. In Ulysses, Tennyson presents the heroic figure of the Greek hero Ulysses, who represents the Victorian ideal of relentless striving and a refusal to settle into complacency:

“It little profits that an idle king,

By this still hearth, among these barren crags,

Matched with an aged wife, I mete and dole

Unequal laws unto a savage race,

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.”

3. Robert Browning: Themes in His Poem My Last Duchess

While Tennyson represents the grandeur of Victorian idealism, Robert Browning offers a darker, more psychological perspective on the human condition. His poem My Last Duchess (1842), written in dramatic monologue form, is a masterful exploration of power, jealousy, and the complexities of human relationships.

Summary of My Last Duchess

In My Last Duchess, Browning gives voice to the Duke of Ferrara, who speaks to an emissary about his late wife. The Duke, an aristocrat, shows the emissary a portrait of his late wife and describes how she was a beautiful, kind, and lively woman who would smile too freely at others, an action that disturbed him. He reveals, through his narrative, that he had her killed for not conforming to his expectations of how she should behave.

The Duke’s monologue is chilling in its subtlety. He speaks with apparent pride about his “last Duchess” but gradually reveals the darker side of his character—the possessiveness, cruelty, and ultimately, his belief in his own right to control and dispose of others. The poem is a sharp critique of patriarchal attitudes and explores the theme of power in relationships, as well as the dangers of excessive pride and authority.

Thematic Concerns in My Last Duchess

Power and Control

The central theme of the poem is power. The Duke views his wife as an object to be controlled, a possession that he has the right to display and discard at will. The Duke’s obsession with maintaining control over his wife’s behavior reflects the patriarchal norms of the Victorian society, where women were often treated as subordinates in marriage and society.

Jealousy and Possession

The Duke’s jealousy is evident throughout the poem. He is not content with his wife’s love being given freely to anyone other than him. His possessiveness leads him to justify her death as a means of preserving his own honor and control over her. This jealousy can be seen as a metaphor for the societal tendencies to view women as possessions to be owned and guarded.

The Flaws of the Aristocracy

Browning critiques the moral decay of the aristocracy, as embodied in the Duke. While the Duke is an aristocrat of high rank, his actions reveal a deep moral emptiness. His monologue, which begins with an almost casual display of power, builds to a disturbing revelation of his lack of empathy and sense of entitlement. The poem portrays the aristocracy as disconnected from morality and deeply entrenched in a system of exploitation and domination.

4. Conclusion: Tennyson and Browning in the Victorian Context

In many ways, Tennyson and Browning embody the intellectual and emotional currents of the Victorian era. Tennyson’s poetry, with its meditations on faith, doubt, heroism, and progress, captures the tension between the idealism of the age and the emerging anxieties brought about by scientific discovery and social change. His work offers a vision of both hope and despair, making him an emblematic figure of Victorian literary culture.

Browning, on the other hand, presents a more complex and psychological portrait of the human condition. In poems like My Last Duchess, he explores the darker aspects of human nature—jealousy, power, and control—providing a critique of the societal structures that allowed such behavior to flourish, especially within the aristocracy. Browning’s dramatic monologues invite the reader to explore the complexity of individual psychology and the hidden motivations behind outward appearances.

Together, Tennyson and Browning offer a multifaceted picture of Victorian life, capturing both the grandeur and the shadowed undercurrents of a rapidly changing world. While Tennyson represents the moral and philosophical aspirations of the age, Browning delves into the complexities of personal desire, ambition, and social critique. Through their works, both poets encapsulate the essence of the Victorian era and its literary legacy.