|
Abstract
|
Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), Poet Laureate, was the most prominent poetic voice of the Victorian era. His poems were not just beautiful works of art; they were a means of discussing the major issues of his time, such as the conflict between science and religion, the changing role of women, and the anxieties generated by rapid industrial progress. Tennyson was a philosopher and educator who employed poetry to help people overcome these moral and intellectual dilemmas. This study offers a multifaceted reading mixing three major critical theories. It is significant because it allows us to study Tennyson's role as a “Teacher-Philosopher” in a didactic perspective, rather than in a traditional biographical study or analysis of his works as a magnificent piece of art. As Poet Laureate, it turns the focus from Tennyson’s mastery of meter and lyrical form to the philosophical meaning and good intentions behind his verse. It also offers insight into nineteenth-century intersections between literature and philosophy, helping modern readers to engage with Tennyson’s poetry. Specific Objectives includes the following issues: to check out the relationship between Tennyson`s poetry and the historic and cultural context of the Victorian period through the lens of New Historicism; to examine the illustration of girls and gender roles in Tennyson`s works from a Feminist perspective; to take a look at the reflections of the sophistication struggle and the social consequences of capitalism in his poetry from a Marxist viewpoint; and therefore, to spotlight Tennyson's philosophical insights and discover how his poetry conveys ethical and highbrow teachings.
|