Romantic Elements in Tennyson’s Poem

Answer

What romantic elements do you find in Tennyson’s poems that you have studied?

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) is one of the greatest English poets. He belongs to the Victorian era (1837-1901). However, he is a Romantic at heart. In many of his poems, we find ideas that belong to the Romantic period. Romantic poets focus on deep feelings, the beauty of nature, the power of imagination, and the desire to escape from real life. Here, we will find out the romantic qualities in his famous poems.

Deep Emotions and Personal Feelings: Romantic poems are filled with strong personal emotions. These poets speak from the heart. The speakers in Tennyson’s poems also express deep personal emotions. They feel very sad, lonely, tired, and hopeless. In “Oenone,” written in 1829, Oenone expresses her sadness for her lost love, Paris. Oenone is sad because Paris left her for Helen. She loved Paris deeply, but he betrayed her. Now she feels heartbroken, lonely, and tired of life. Oenone says:

“Beautiful Paris, evil-hearted Paris.”

It shows her deep sadness. She calls him “evil-hearted” because he broke her heart. In “Tithonus,” written in 1833, Tithonus is gifted with immortality, but not eternal youth. So, he grows older and older but cannot die. He expresses his deep pain in this line:

“Me only cruel immortality consumes.”

Moreover, “Locksley Hall” (1842) feels deeply personal. In this poem, the unnamed speaker expresses his sadness and frustration about his lost love, Amy. He thinks he could not marry Amy because he had no money or social status. These deep emotions and personal feelings are key romantic elements.

Beauty of Nature: Romantic poets love nature deeply. For them, nature is not just a background—it is something living and full of meaning. Tennyson portrays very soft, beautiful, and dream-like pictures of nature in his poems. In “The Lotos-eaters” (1832), the island is full of magical beauty.