Discuss Tennyson’s use of legends and myths in his poems

Answer

Discuss Tennyson’s use of legends and myths in his poems.

Myths and legends are the traditional stories. Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), one of the most famous Victorian poets, loved using old myths and legends in his poems. He took stories from ancient Greece and turned them into something new. These stories helped him discuss deep human emotions and ideas like love, loss, aging, and the struggle to find meaning in life. We will discuss Tennyson’s use of legends and myths below.

Oenone: A Story of Betrayal: In “Oenone,” written in 1829, Tennyson tells the Greek mythological story of a nymph named Oenone. Oenone is heartbroken when her lover, Paris, leaves her for Helen of Troy. She laments that Paris betrayed her as he chose beauty over love. This choice leads to the Trojan War. Tennyson uses Oenone’s pain to show how betrayal hurts. Oenone sits alone in a valley, crying, and even the trees and rivers seem sad with her. She says:

My eyes are full of tears,…

And I am all aweary of my life.

Tennyson suggests how one person’s selfish choice can cause big problems for everyone, like starting a war. Betrayal can ruin friendships and families. Through this myth, Tennyson explores the idea of lost love and how choices can lead to regret.

The Lotos-Eaters: Escaping Reality: In “The Lotos-Eaters” (1832), Tennyson retells a part of “The Odyssey.” In the original story, Odysseus’s sailors eat lotus flowers on an island and forget their duties. The sailors sing:

Our island home

Is far beyond the wave; we will no longer roam.

Tennyson turns this myth into a deep poem about people who want to escape hard work and pain. The poem questions whether is it wrong to want a life without struggles. The sailors are tired of fighting storms and just want to rest forever. This poem reflects how people in the Victorian era felt stressed by the fast-changing world. Machines, factories, and long work hours made