Tennyson's Life: A Timeline

(Click to enlarge)

1809	Born at Somersby, Lincolnshire, England; fourth of twelve children
1820-1827	Educated at home by his father
1821	Tennyson composes a 6,000 line epic poem
1823-1824	Composes "The Devil and the Lady"
1827	Enters Cambridge University Publishes, with brother Charles, Poems by Two Brothers
1829	Meets his best-friend-to-be, Arthur Henry Hallam Wins Chancellor's Prize Medal with his poem "Timbuctoo"
1830	Publishes Poems, Chiefly Lyrical With Hallam, joins insurgent army in Spain for a time
1831	Father dies Tennyson leaves Cambridge
1833	Publishes Poems
1836	Begins courtship of Emily Sellwood
1842	Republishes Poems,with additions; Tennyson's fame established
1850	Publishes In Memoriam (to the memory of Arthur Hallam) Marries Emily Sellwood Queen Victoria appoints poet laureate of England
1851	The Tennyson's first child is born dead
1852	Birth of his eldest son, Hallam Tennyson (to become the second Lord Tennyson)
1855	Publishes Maud, and Other Poems
1859	Publishes first poems of Idylls of the King ; 10,000 copies sell in one month
1864	Publishes Enoch Arden
1865	Tennyson's mother dies
1869	Publishes The Holy Grail and Other Poems
1871	Publishes "The Last Tournament"
1872-1874	Tennyson completes Idylls of the King (except for "Balin and Balan")
1880	Publishes Ballads and Other Poems
1883	Tennyson made a Baron
1885	Publishes Tiresias and Other Poemss
1889	Publishes Demeter and Other Poems
1892	Tennyson dies after a long illness

For a brief biography of Tennyson, click HERE

To read email notes to me from two of Tennyson's descendants, click here

TENNYSON 911! -- For students who are writing papers about Tennyson's poetry

Bilbiography of some recent works on Tennyson

Emily Sellwood Tennyson
Lady Tennyson