The Great Poets: Alfred Lord Tennyson

By: Alfred Tennyson

Narrated by: Michael Pennington

Length: 1 hr and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

The 200th anniversary of the birth of Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892), one of the most popular of poets, is celebrated in 2009. Works such as "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Crossing the Bar", and "Tears, Idle Tears" have made him an internationally famous figure, and the second most quoted writer of all time (after Shakespeare).

Tennyson's poetic works encompass a great range of styles, settings and personae, and are known for their emotional resonance and powerful imagery. Naxos AudioBooks's popular The Great Poets series marks the anniversary with an audio bringing together all the key works, read by veteran reader Michael Pennington.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2009 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2009 Naxos Audiobooks

Steeped In Brillance

Who was your favorite character and why?

Crossing The Bar - A eulogy for loved ones still on the Mainland and wait to cross the bar.

Have you listened to any of Michael Pennington’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The first one for me and not the last.He becomes fully absorbed and welds Lord Tennyson into your consciosness

Any additional comments?

Under Priced.

Tennyson

Poetry is largely meant to be heard aloud and listening to it is a new dimension of experience. Pennington is an excellent reader, though some sections feel a bit rushed. My main complaint isn't a big one. the Table of Contents isn't accurate. more than one poem is crammed under the heading of another, making it tricky to navigate. This does not, however, diminish the overall listening experience.

FABULOUS performance

Tennyson has never been a favorite, but I absolutely loved this selection and performance.

Beautiful rendering of Ulysses

Pennington does a wonderful job with Tennyson's verse. His voice has a gruffness and gravitas to it that is particularly well suited to the more elegiac pieces.

High point: Ulysses, running from ~19m41s to to ~24m57s.

Sadly absent: Crossing The Bar, which I would have loved to hear in Pennington's voice.

Lord Tennyson, the dramatic man.

Lord Tennyson, of all the most famous english poets, has not only some of the best mythology in his rendition of The Death of Arthur and the Lady of Shallot, but his rhyme scheme is very satisfying and simplistic.

The narrator does the dramatization very well, for a very dramatic write.

Recommended.

A Savory Performance

I must confess that I was not originally a big fan of Tennyson...multiple encounters with Michael Pennington has quite altered my opinion. It's somehow all linked to the lack of communication - printed words, especially of poetic verse, must be rightly interpreted, and then verbally conveyed in such a way as enable the mind to embrace the depth and the beauty of the authors meaning. This narrator has the gift to do just that.

One technical negativo is the format - the poems are not divided in such a way as to allow for the selection of individual works, rather, it is simply one large recording with no breaks...

Transfixed

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would. Lord Alfred Tennyson's work trickles with sadness and rolls into the edge of despair. His words roll around your head and take root feeding the knowledge of the frailty of life, friendships and aching love.

What did you like best about this story?

The poetry varies as does the subject matter however, it all ties into a thread of similarity due to the author's pen.

What about Michael Pennington’s performance did you like?

It had good tempo and inflection. Soft when it should be soft and more intense as subject needed. He was pleasant.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

There would be no book unless it was about the life of the poet. In such a case that title could be...."A Common Thread" or even "A Common Thread of Grief".

Transports me to a different time, space

I'm basically a non-fiction guy. But I was raised on some classical art and theater. I love nimble English prose. (Obviously Tennyson revered Shakespeare, one of the few bits of literature I can hang with.) This is painterly, Victorian, sometimes unfashionably sentimental (in a way that has been imitated and poorly copied, long since), all fairly odd to my ears. But moments of it are very vivid and immersive, transporting. (It is not all fairies in colorful ponds; the contemplation of mortality is frequent, but that does not bother me.) I was sitting in a medical clinic, waiting on a relative getting treatment. I played this and voila, the place and scene were transformed. It was like falling into a strange old (but complex, vivid) painting. It was the perfect change of mindscape. So I have it available for those sorts of moments.

One of the most popular Victorian poets

The poetry of depth and emotional profundity, of versatile styles and complex language. As usual, Naxos did a wonderful job of selecting the poems.
Here's the list of A.Tennyson's works:
1. The Charge of the Light Brigade
2. Song of the Lotus Eaters
3. The Lady of Shalott
4. Vivian's Song
5. Break, Break, Break
6. In the Valley of Cauteretz
7. Ulysses
8. Tears, Idle Tears
9. Sweet and Low
10. Blow, Bugle, Blow
11. Swallow, Swallow
12. Home They Brought Her Warrior Dead
13. Summer Night
14. Tithonus
15. The Passing of Arthur/Morte d'Arthur
16. The Brook
17. Come Into the Garden Maud
18. In the Garden at Swainston
19. Come Down, O Maid
20. In Memoriam (excerpts):
In Memoriam VII
In Memoriam XI
In Memoriam L
In Memoriam LI
In Memoriam CXXVI/126
21.Crossing the Bar

Beautiful poetry well narrated

Would you consider the audio edition of The Great Poets: Alfred Lord Tennyson to be better than the print version?

I love Tennyson, have always loved reading him. When I listened to the initial sample I thought eh, what the heck. But after a longer listen, I was sucked in. I don't actually like Michael Pennington's voice, but he makes this poetry more beautiful.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Great Poets: Alfred Lord Tennyson?

Morte d'Artur. I've read it before and been moved. However, I was listening to this book as I grocery shopped, and suddenly found myself actually crying during Morte d'Artur! Had to hide in a corner until I got myself under control.

Any additional comments?

I would strongly recommend this well recorded, clear audiobook for those who already love, or want to be introduced to, the Romantic poets.