* Formal language: Tennyson used a sophisticated and elevated vocabulary, often drawing from classical sources.
* Rhyme and meter: His poetry heavily relies on traditional rhyme schemes and metrical patterns, often using iambic pentameter and blank verse.
* Lyrical quality: He emphasized musicality and emotional intensity, using vivid imagery and metaphorical language to evoke strong feelings in the reader.
* Exploration of themes: His poetry often explored themes of love, death, nature, faith, and the human condition.
* Romantic influences: Though belonging to the Victorian era, Tennyson drew heavily from the Romantic poets, particularly Wordsworth, in his love of nature and his focus on personal experience.
While his style is distinctly Victorian, it also contains elements of other literary periods, including Romanticism and Classicism.
Here are some examples of Tennyson's famous poems that exhibit these features:
* "The Lady of Shalott": This poem showcases the romantic and lyrical elements of his work, focusing on a solitary woman weaving a tapestry and her ultimate downfall.
* "Ulysses": This epic poem demonstrates Tennyson's mastery of blank verse and his exploration of themes of ambition, aging, and the search for meaning in life.
* "Crossing the Bar": This elegiac poem shows his use of formal language and traditional rhyme schemes to convey a sense of peace and acceptance of death.
In summary, Lord Alfred Tennyson's writing style is primarily Victorian, blending elements of formality, lyrical quality, traditional verse forms, and the exploration of deep human themes with a Romantic sensibility.