Elaine

Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron, 1809-1892Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 79K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Elaine by Baron Alfred Tennyson TennysonAuthor: Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron, 1809-1892,Language: French, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jul 17, 2016

Editor's review

This poem by Tennyson, centered on Elaine from the Arthurian legends, is one of the more emotionally intense pieces within his Idylls of the King cycle. It unfolds as a verse narrative, with careful attention to sound and imagery, suited to readers willing to read slowly and savor the rhythms of Victorian poetry. Readers interested in English literature and the Arthurian motif can use it to see how Tennyson infused an ancient legend with Victorian moral concerns and sentiment. This edition is a Project Gutenberg eBook; the difficulty lies mainly in the diction and syntax of the original English verse rather than in the content itself. Recommended as supplementary Tennyson reading rather than a first choice for beginners.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Victorian poetry who are willing to read the English original
Students studying or taking courses on Arthurian legend and Idylls of the King
Literature lovers who enjoy verse narrative and care about sound and imagery
Teachers who need a public-domain Gutenberg poem for teaching or citation

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking a Chinese translation; this book is in the English original
Readers impatient with poetry who prefer fast-paced plots
Beginners who need a detailed annotated and introductory edition

Reading tips

Read the background to Idylls of the King first, then approach this poem; the characters' relationships will be clearer
Read passages aloud to appreciate Tennyson's rhyme and rhythm
Do not stop at every unfamiliar word; grasp the plot and emotional arc first
Read alongside other poets' treatments of the same material to see how approaches differ

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or English?

The metadata lists the language as French, but the work itself is Tennyson's English poem, a Project Gutenberg eBook. Read the original text; it is not a Chinese translation.

Can I read it without having read Idylls of the King?

Yes, but Elaine's story is tied to the character threads of the larger cycle. Knowing the basic Arthurian figures will make the reading smoother; otherwise it may feel fragmentary.

Is it a good introduction to Tennyson's poetry?

Not the most ideal starting point. Tennyson's language is refined, and this poem is embedded in a cycle. Better to begin with his famous shorter poems before tackling a narrative poem like this.

Comments

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About the author

Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron, 1809-1892 Author

Alfred Tennyson, Baron Tennyson (1809-1892), was a British poet who succeeded Wordsworth as Poet Laureate in 1850. His representative works include Idylls of the King, Maud, and Other Poems, and Enoch Arden. This library holds 17 of his works, commonly classified under inspirational growth. Drawing frequently on classical and medieval legend, his poetry is finely crafted and highly musical, combining Romantic sentiment with a Victorian concern for morality, faith and the meaning of life; Idylls of the King uses the Arthurian legends to explore the conflict between duty and desire. Available public information is limited, and no further biographical details are provided.