Did you know that significant events in a person's life can inspire great masterpieces? Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote poetry from a young age until his death. His father, at first, did not support his poetry. He wrote everything, but rarely received great reviews. It was only after the death of his best friend that his greatest works occurred. His works even earned him the title of Poet Laureate, succeeding Williamworth. Tennyson was an active writer in his early and later years and his poetry shows his feelings about the world around him. Alfred, Lord Tennyson was born in 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire ("British Literature"). He attended grammar school until the age of eleven and was then educated at home by his father. His father was very paranoid, violent and abusive and had a family of twelve unstable children, of which Tennyson is the fourth. He was not chosen as his father's heir and instead became a member of the clergy and wanted Tennyson to do the same (Everett). He began to show promise in writing at an early age. By the age of fourteen he had written a play in blank verse and an epic poem of 6000 lines (Alfred). When the time came for Tennyson to go to college, he decided to follow his two older brothers to Trinity College, Cambridge. It was there that he joined the Apostles, where he met his best friend, Arthur Henry Hallam (Everett). He was in college as an undergraduate when Tennyson published his first work with his brothers, Poems by Two Brothers in 1827. He published his first solo volume in 1830, entitled Poems, Chiefly Lyrical ("British Literature"). He also met his best friend as a college student. Even though he and Hallam had only known each other for four years, their friendship was very strong. Hallam becomes engaged to Tennyson's sister... middle of paper... himself to the universe and wonders if he will disappear into its vastness. He asks if he will have dark days due to the immense darkness of the universe. Mention God's works in the universe. He also says he has limited encounters with God due to his human condition. He tells God that he is not afraid to hide from Him because His power is great. He concludes by saying that he is not afraid of the world, himself, or God (Levi 320). Works Cited "Alfred, Lord Tennyson Biography". . CliffsNotes, April 12, 2014.Everett, Glenn. "Alfred Lord Tennyson: a short biography." The Victorian Web., March 30, 2004. April 12, 2014. Levi, Peter. Tennyson. New York: Sons of Charles Scribner, 1993. Scott Kastan, David, ed. The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature. Oxford University Press, 2006.Scott-Kilvert, Ian, ed. British writers. New York: Sons of Charles Scribner, 1981.