Alfred Tennyson, Idylls of the King

Gabriel Schenk (Signum University)

Ed. by Grace Moore, University of Otago
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Grace Moore (University of Otago)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1859

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poem collection

Resources

Related Groups

Arthurian Literature

Idylls of the King is a series of twelve interconnected blank verse poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Each poem focuses on a central figure, or couple of figures, from the legend of King Arthur and his court, covering events from the establishment of Arthur’s reign to his final battle against Mordred. Altogether, the series is more than 10,000 lines long, with individual poems ranging between 469 lines and 1,418. It is Tennyson’s longest and most ambitious work, a commercial and critical success, and considered by Clyde de L. Ryals to be the poet’s Magnum Opus (Ryals 200).

Brief Plot Summaries

“The Coming of Arthur”

Arthur establishes his …

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3723 words

Citation: Schenk, Gabriel. "Idylls of the King". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 April 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4585, accessed 07 February 2023.]

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