Victorian Science

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This biography revives the figure of Alfred Lord Tennyson, often remembered merely as the somber Poet Laureate of Victorian England. Richard Holmes, acclaimed for his works on Shelley and Coleridge, presents Tennyson as a vibrant and complex personality, shaped by a troubled upbringing in a dysfunctional family and marked by intense emotional experiences. Despite facing personal challenges, including turbulent love affairs, Tennyson emerged as a significant poet, celebrated for his musicality in works like "The Lady of Shalott." Holmes explores Tennyson's engagement with the scientific upheavals of his time, including the concepts of biological evolution and an indifferent universe, which deeply affected his imagination. These transformative ideas were as daunting to Tennyson as contemporary climate issues are to us. His interactions with notable figures such as William Whewell, John Herschel, and Charles Lyell, alongside his exchanges with literary contemporaries like Thomas Carlyle and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, reveal a man grappling with profound existential questions. Holmes's biography illuminates Tennyson's 'vagrant years,' showcasing how he wrestled with themes of mortality, depression, and the tension between love and loneliness, ultimately enriching our understanding of this iconic poet and his enduring relevance.