Handbook to the Mennonite HymnaryHostetler, Lester
Religion
Handbook to the Mennonite Hymnary
Hostetler, Lester
Hymns, English -- History and criticism; Mennonites -- Hymns -- History and criticism
From the prologue of Tennyson’s great poem, “In Memoriam,” 1850,
containing eleven stanzas; these are 1, 4, 5, and 7, unaltered.
The story of “In Memoriam” is familiar. At Cambridge University,
Tennyson and Arthur Hallam became intimate friends. Hallam became
engaged to Tennyson’s sister, and, after graduating from the University,
took a trip to the Continent. At Vienna, he became sick and died, which
prompted Tennyson to write the following brief but beautiful words:
“In Vienna’s fatal walls,
God’s finger touched him, and he slept.”
In 1850, seventeen years after Hallam’s death, Tennyson published “In
Memoriam,” a memorial to Hallam, but also to himself as well. Among the
individual verses of the poem which have become immortal are the
familiar lines beginning, “Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky.” (See
379).
Alfred Tennyson was the son of Rev. George C. Tennyson. He was educated
at Cambridge and wrote poetry while an undergraduate. Upon the death of
Wordsworth in 1850, Tennyson was appointed Poet Laureate. He is regarded
as one of England’s greatest poets. He was not a hymn writer, yet
several of his poems are used as hymns. Tennyson died October 6, 1892,
and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
_MUSIC._ ST. CRISPIN was composed for the hymn “Just as I am, without
one plea.” The tune was used at the funeral of the composer.
For comments on the composer, George Elvey, see Hymn 118.
150. My faith looks up to Thee _Ray Palmer_, 1808-87
This hymn was written when the author had just left Yale at the age of
21 and was looking forward to his lifework in the Congregational
ministry. The origin of the hymn is given in Duffield’s _English Hymns_,
as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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