Selections from Wordsworth and Tennyson — John Shaqi
Selections from Wordsworth and TennysonTennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron
General
Selections from Wordsworth and Tennyson
Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron
English poetry -- 19th century
Hence, while the imperial City's din
Beats frequent on thy satiate ear,
A pleased attention I may win 75
To agitations less severe,
That neither overwhelm nor cloy,
But fill the hollow vale with joy!
Christopher Wordsworth was born at Cockermouth in Cumberland on June 9th,
1774. He received his early education at Hawkshead Grammar School and in
1792 entered Trinity College, Cambridge, as a pensioner. He graduated in
1796 with high honours in mathematics, and in 1798 was elected a fellow
of his college. He took his M.A. degree in 1799 and was awarded the
degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1810. While at Cambridge Christopher had
been tutor to Viscount Canterbury, who introduced him to his father, at
that time Bishop of Norwich. Through the good offices of the Bishop he
was appointed to the rectory of Ashby, Norfolk, and thus, with prospects
settled, he was enabled to marry. On the appointment of the Bishop of
Norwich to the Archbishopric of Canterbury he was appointed domestic
chaplain to the Archbishop. Subsequently in 1816 he was appointed rector
of St. Mary's, Lambeth, the living he held at the time the poem in the
text was written.
In 1820 Christopher was made Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, a
position he held until his resignation in 1841. He died at Buxted on
February 2nd, 1846. "He was an earnest and deeply religious man; in some
respects a high churchman of the old school, but with sympathy for
whatever was good and noble in others. In politics he was a staunch
Conservative."
15. THE GREETING GIVEN, THE MUSIC PLAYED. Till the greeting had been
given and the music played.
17. Attributive to "name" (l. 16.)
18. Explain the construction of "wished."
50. AMBIENT=_winding_.
51. CYTHEREA'S ZONE. The goddess Venus was named Cytherea because she
was supposed to have been born of the foam of the sea near Cythera, an
island off the coast of the Peloponnesus. Venus was the goddess of love,
and her power over the heart was strengthened by the marvellous zone or
girdle she wore.
52. THE THUNDERER. The reference is to Jupiter, who is generally
represented as seated upon a golden or ivory throne holding in one hand
the thunderbolts, and in the other a sceptre of cypress.
55-60. Suggest how this stanza is characteristic of Wordsworth.
65. LAMBETH'S VENERABLE TOWERS. Lambeth Palace, the official residence
of the Archbishop of Canterbury, is on the Thames. Wordsworth's brother
Christopher, afterwards Master of Trinity College, was then (1820) Rector
of Lambeth.
ELEGIAC STANZAS
SUGGESTED BY A PICTURE OF PEELE CASTLE, IN A STORM,
PAINTED BY SIR GEORGE BEAUMONT.
I was thy neighbor once, thou rugged Pile!
Four summer weeks I dwelt in sight of thee:
I saw thee every day; and all the while
Thy Form was sleeping on a glassy sea.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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