Tennyson s central poem is presented with an extensive introduction that provides background information on the poet and poem as well as an overview of In Memoriam s formal and thematic peculiarities, including Tennyson s use of the stanza and the poem s rhyme scheme."

By analyzing Tennyson's use of memory in his poetry, this study shows Tennyson as the abiding experimentalist in the use of the poetic memory—through it, he presents his diverse themes in a variety of ways. Discussed in this book are selections from his earliest volumes and “Poems (1842)”, “In Memoriam”, “Maud”, and “Idylls of the King”, which are chosen not only for their rich illustrative variety in the use of memory but also because they span the whole of his poetic career and, therefore, attest to his consistent concern with memory.

The poet's reputation has weathered even the most vitriolic attempts to discredit both the man and his writings; and as criticism of the late twentieth century demonstrates, Tennyson's claim to pre-eminence among the Victorians is now unchallenged."

Tennyson shared the assumptions of his age concerning the value of family life, and treated the domestic as the source of the heroic in both action and character. This book provides a critical examination of these major Victorian themes as they appear in Tennyson's poetry and demonstrates how the poet's assumptions illuminate his use of elegy, idyl, and epyllion and his treatment of romance. Professor Hair analyses In Memoriam, the English Idylls, The Princess, and Idyls of the King; he examines Tennyson's view of the family as the model of social order, a civilizing influence on the nation, and a place where the greater man, or hero, is nurtured; and he reveals how much of Tennyson's poetry explores the link between domestic and heroic. He also discusses the patterns into which these pervasive domestic concerns fall, with emphasis on the most significant: separation and reunions. The myth of Demeter and Persephone, the Biblical story of Ruth, and the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale are all versions of Tennyson's treatment of this pattern. The English Idylls and other idyls and epyllia are explored as varying combinations of romance, satire, tragedy, comedy, and irony, with a detailed analysis of The Princess, the most complex of these medleys. Idylls of the King, wherein the fate of Camelot rests on the marriage of Arthur and Guinevere, is treated as the fullest exploration of the link between domestic and heroic.

Some of the greatest works of literature have wrestled with the task of illuminating the human experience of death. This new title discusses the role of death and dying in works such as Beloved, A Farewell to Arms, Lord of the Flies, Paradise Lost, and many others. Featuring approximately 20 essays, Death and Dying provides valuable insights on this recurring theme in literature.