Tennyson's comfort from Grief and the Ascension of Arthur Henry Hallam
Date
1994
Authors
Oldenburger, Kenneth Mark
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Abstract
Alfred Lord Tennyson's "In Memoriam" is a search for comfort from his fear of Death. Tennyson's fear of Death, triggered by the death of Arthur Henry Hallam, is a result of his inability to have faith in the traditional religious beliefs of his society. Without faith, the traditional religious beliefs are unable to assuage his grief. Tennyson's search for comfort, therefore, involves a search for meaningful religious beliefs and for faith in these new beliefs.
The thesis presents the steps involved in Tennyson's search, represented by the imagined afterlife evolution of Hallam. Hallam's afterlife existence is presented in "In Memoriam" as evolving from one discrete level to another. He evolves from a corpse to a mindless spirit to a soul with Hallam's personality to a guardian spirit to a demigod and, finally, to the level of divinity.
Each level of afterlife existence is associated with a religious crisis which affects the poem's speaker. As each crisis is resolved, Hallam advances another level towards divinity. The religious questions are answered through a combination of orthodox and unorthodox religious beliefs, Tennyson's knowledge of evolution and his vast love for his deceased friend, Hallam. The answers to the religious crises become Tennyson's newly accepted religious beliefs. Tennyson resolves his religious doubts and fears, therefore, through the medium of the poem and the poem's speaker.
Tennyson's' faith is altered during the poem by being empowered not by piety, but by love. With this altered faith, often called intuitive faith, Tennyson is able to accept his new found religious beliefs.
Together, Tennyson's religious beliefs and his intuitive faith give him the comfort from the fear of Death which he seeks.