![]() ![]() ![]() Epilepsy was thought to have its root in what was considered aberrant sexual behaviour (masturbation in particular) and thus shameful. His father was an alcoholic and also diagnosed with epilepsy, although that may have been a misreading of his drunken rages. But finance was perhaps the least of Tennyson’s concerns: in one form or another, alcohol, drugs, depression and various mental problems were to affect every one of the Tennyson family (there were 12 children), with all suffering at least one breakdown, one dying young, one being admitted to an asylum and one a drug addict. His father was a rector who had been disinherited, resulting in the loss of a considerable fortune. The Victorians’ favourite poet and Poet Laureate for 42 years, Alfred Tennyson was born in Somersby, Lincolnshire, in 1809. There’s nothing new here for Tennyson’s fans, but the presentation is a strong introduction to a master’s range of style and emotion. ![]() One might quibble with some of Michael Pennington’s line readings, but he has made thoughtful interpretations, and his voice is quite capable of meeting the musical demands of the poetry. There’s no need to dip into the lesser works in a collection of Tennyson, and Naxos has made a fine selection here, mixing the best known ( The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Lady of Shalott, Ulysses, The Lotus-Eaters) with others that will be less familiar to casual readers. The narration of the 24 poems here does Tennyson proud. He succeeded in echoing deep emotions in simple words – ‘But a for the touch of a vanish’d hand, / And the sound of a voice that is still!’ – and in creating tremendous rhythmic narratives – ‘Forward the Light Brigade! / Charge for the guns!’ he said. Some of the finest Victorian poetry grew out of Tennyson’s troubled personal life – he and all his eleven siblings suffered some kind of mental health problems, and his beloved friend Hallam died at 22. Titles by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Titles by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Idylls of the King (unabridged) The Great Poets – Alfred Lord Tennyson (selections) Included in this title ![]()
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