Kit A.

Nadado English 375 Dr Sherman Han Tennysons In Memoriam as a Love Poem and a Poem about Coping with Grief Alfred, Lord Tennysons In Memoriam is perhaps one of the greatest works of poetry in the Victorian Era. The depths of sorrow, hope, doubt, and faith are vividly and masterfully written in this poem that scopes seventeen years of grief and consolation. This unique characteristic of In Memoriam makes it one of the most celebrated poems that addresses coping from the loss of a loved one. It is relevant that a discussion about Tennysons inspiration behind this mighty poem should be conducted. Hallams death was the catalyst of Tennyson writing In Memoriam, a poem that depicts love as immortal and all encompassing, and a poem that maps the process of overcoming grief. Arthur Henry Hallam and his Relationship with Tennyson Tennysons creation of In Memoriam was inspired none other than the best friend that Tennyson loved, Arthur Hallam. A discussion of Hallams life in connection to that of Tennyson is then essential in understanding the depths and meaning of In Memoriam. Arthur Hallam was born on the 1st of February, in Bedford Place, London, to the historian, Henry Hallam, and Julia Eaton. Dominic Carlone, a scholar of Victorian literature states that Hallam was well acquainted and educated with the French and Latin languages since young. He later developed these languages through his adolescence and even added Greek to his repertoire (np). In 1828,

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Hallam attended Trinity College, Cambridge. During this time, Hallam was affiliated with the Apostles. The Apostles is a society of intellectuals in Cambridge that meets weekly to debate and discuss matters about politics, religion, and other current issues. During Hallams membership to this society, he meets Tennyson and became his best friend. Hallams deepening friendship with Tennyson became the greatest influence in Tennysons life and in his poetry. Hallam and Tennysons friendship deepened as Hallam began visiting the Tennyson residence. Hallams first visit to the Tennysons was during the Christmas of 1829. Hallam met Tennysons sister, Emily and fell in love with her. The next year, Easter of 1830, Hallam visited the Tennysons again and declared his love for Emily. It was also during this time that Hallam and Tennyson agreed on publishing a book of poems together as a seal of their friendship. Once again, Hallam spent Christmas with the Tennysons that year and the next year of 1831 (Carlone np). Hallams visits to the Tennysons during these Christmases were the basis of the lonely Christmas poems in In Memoriam. Hallam also became Tennysons support and advocate when Tennysons father died . Hallam made Tennysons poetry be published to help Tennyson continue his education. These experiences tightened the connection between Hallam and Tennyson. Christopher Ricks, Tennysons biographer described Hallam and Tennysons relationship. Ricks stated, "The friendship was one of the most important experiences of Hallam's short life and of Tennyson's long one"(qtd in Howse np). Indeed, Hallam became one of the greatest influences in Tennysons life, saving Tennyson from obscurity and allowing Tennyson to finish his education. Hallam was influenced by Tennyson just the same.

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Hallams death was the main catalyst and inspiration for Tennysons masterpiece, In Memoriam. Hallams last visit to his fianc, Emily and Tennyson was on July 1833. The nest month, Hallam and his father travelled to Europe. Hallam died during this trip in Vienna with a recurrence of ague (Carlone np). Hallams death came as a shock to the Tennysons. Tennyson was then consumed by grief and depression in the succeeding years. During these years of grief, Tennyson wrote In Memoriam. In Memoriam, was Tennysons greatest expression of the grief brought by Hallams passing. In Memoriam was Tennysons eulogy to his best friend. In Memoriam as a love poem Tennysons In Memoriam is a love poem that depicts love as continuing and immortal, a force that encompasses all relationships. In Memoriam focuses on an unconventional kind of love within relationships torn by death. Tnennysons poem depicts love as immortal and transcendent to death. The reader may easily associate this love to Hallam and Tennysons friendship. This may be true but the scope of In Memoriam extends beyond Hallam and Tennyson. In Memoriam also depicts love in all relationships present in the Victorian era severed by death. Joanne Zuckerman describes this all encompassing quality of In Memoriam as the self validating experience of human love (np). In Memoriam immortalizes the loved one as a lingering memory, reachable and can be referenced in a human sense. It validates the experience of grief as an ultimate expression of love and longing. This experience extends to all domestic love found in the Victorian era: marriage, of parents and children, of brothers and sisters, of the widowed, and the simple, rural love tragedies (Zuckerman np). In Memoriam

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reaches out to all these relationships and tries to define the attachment that exists between the loved one who has departed and the person living as love. Being a love poem, Tennysons In Memoriam also depicts love as a continuing force that transcends death, and love as a union. Zuckerman supports this idea and states that In Memoriam depicts love as a continuing and mutual relationship(np) that extends beyond the grave and is present to all relationships. This aim for a continual relationship allows Tennyson to address Hallam in his poems as if Hallam is present and listening: Dear heavenly friend that canst not die/ Mine, mine, forever, ever mine;(CXXIX). In Memoriam also treats the love of the departed love one as love bound in fidelity and permanence(Zuckerman np); therefore, this kind of love is monogamous even after death. Tennyson may have associated his relationship to Hallam as a form of union much like marriage yet with no bounds even death. Tennyson ultimately ties this relationship in his writing of In Memoriam. In Memoriam then becomes a love poem that depicts idealized love: immortal and all encompassing. In Memoriam as a Poem in Coping for Sorrow Tennysons In Memoriam depicts an emotional movement from grief and sorrow to hope and acceptance. This movement presents the stages of coping with grief over time. According to Michael Mason, a scholar on Victorian literature, In Memoriam depicts time is a great healer (162), that the process of grief has an end yet time is needed to fulfill this process. In Memoriam does this process of coping in poems that do change overtime. The first half of the poem describes the authors profound grief over the loss of a loved one. Dea th is considered as a bringer of intense pain as depicted in these verses: sickened every living

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bloom/ and blurred the splendor of the sun (LXXII). This is the main theme of the first half: an intense depiction of the darkness of sorrow. Despite of this gloom that permeates early in the poem, a hint of hope is still presented. Tennyson writes, I can but trust that good shall fall/ at last- far off- at last, to all/ and every winter change to spring (LIV). These hints of hopes in the sea of gloom are meant to assure the reader of the possibility of acceptance and overcoming. These verses also encourages the reader to practice patience, emphasizing that time does heal the wounds of loss. The next half of In Memoriam focuses on a renewal of hope and acceptance. The three Christmases depicts a change in the process of grief over time. The first Christmas represents a dark recollection of Hallams visits with the Tennysons. Tennyson writes about a shadow that watches over that holiday, a grim representation of death. The second Christmas presents a lighter feeling than the last. Tennyson seems to be able to start accepting the loss. Tennyson writes referring to Hallams memory, her deep relations are the same,/ but with long use her tears are dry. (LXXVIII). The third and last Christmas represents the ultimate overcoming, a feeling of peace permeates throughout the poem. Tennyson writes, No more shall wayward grief abuse/ the genial hour with mask and mime(CV). This represents the completion of the process of grief that is further highlighted by the succeeding verses that ushers in the banishment of fear and doubt, and the ushering in of hope and renewal. Kerry McSweeney, another scholar in Victorian literature agrees that In Memoriam represents this process. Referring to the poem, McSweeney states, these celebrate the identity between the process of natural change and the process of human change from grief to renewal and peace (92).

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Truly, In Memoriam depicts that the human experience of grieving is but temporary and can be overcome. To conclude, In Memoriam addresses humanity and humanitys desire to love and to cope with the loss of that love. Indeed, Tennyson effectively addresses these issues out of experience. Tennyson has gone through the process and In Memoriam is simply an expression of that experience. These experiences make Tennyson credible as an author. This is the main reason of In Memoriams relatability and relevance. Tennysons depiction of love as immortal and beyond death, as well as his depiction of grief as temporary, has brought hope to humanity throughout the years.

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Works Cited Carlone, Dominic. "Arthur Henry Hallam (1811-1833)." The Victorian Web. n.p., 20 May 2002. Web. 28 Oct 2013. Howse, Christopher. "The Man Whom Tennyson Loved." Telegraph. 21 Jan 2011: np. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Mason, Michael Y. "IN MEMORIAM: THE DRAMATIZATION OF SORROW." Victorian Poetry 10.2 (1972): 161. ProQuest. Web. 28 Oct. 20 McSweeney, Kerry. "THE PATTERN OF NATURAL CONSOLATION IN "IN MEMORIAM"." Victorian Poetry 11.2 (1973): 87.ProQuest. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Zuckermann, Joanne P. "Tennyson's In Memoriam as Love Poetry." Dalhousie Review 51.2 (Summer 1971): 202-217. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 115. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.