Tennyson Prompts

1. Most scholars agree that Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" raises questions about art and the artist's place in society. If the Lady represents an artist, what does the poem say about art, the role of the artist, the relationship between art and society, etc.?

2. Tennyson wrote "Crossing the Bar" three years before he died, and he meant for it to be the last poem in every volume of his published works. Look at the imagery (the descriptions) in the poem, which function as symbols. What are the symbolic of? Be specific.

3. Like Browning's "My Last Duchess," Tennyson's "Ulysses" is a dramatic monologue. The poem begins with an introspective, interior monologue, but then Ulysses turns to speak to his crew. How does the poem's tone and rhetoric change after this? Why is this important?