Locksley Hall by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
"Locksley Hall" is a dramatic monologue by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, first published in 1842. The poem is narrated by a man reflecting on his past in his childhood home, Locksley Hall, after returning there in a state of emotional turmoil. He recounts his idyllic upbringing, marked by educational pursuits and time spent with his beloved, Amy, who has recently broken their engagement for a wealthier suitor. This heartbreak leads the narrator to a deep contemplation of love, societal expectations, and personal aspirations.
Throughout the poem, he grapples with feelings of bitterness and loss, expressing skepticism about the future and lamenting the societal forces that limit his opportunities for success and adventure. He oscillates between dreams of escape to exotic lands and a recognition of the cultural and technological advancements of his own country. Ultimately, the narrator resolves to seek happiness beyond Locksley Hall, indicating a complex relationship with both his past and the broader societal changes of his time. The poem explores themes of love, disappointment, and the quest for meaning in a rapidly evolving world, offering insights into the emotional landscape of Victorian society.
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Locksley Hall by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
First published: 1842
Type of work: Poetry
Type of plot: Dramatic monologue
Time of plot: Early nineteenth century
Locale: Near the coast of England
Principal characters
The narrator , who remains unnamedAmy , who has just broken their engagementAmy’s parents , who opposed the marriageThe narrator’s father , killed in battleThe narrator’s uncle , lord of Locksley HallFriends of the narrator ,
The Poem:
An unnamed narrator has just returned to his childhood home of Locksley Hall. He asks a group of friends there to leave him in solitude so he may reflect on his past. He recalls his life in the large country house, which included leisurely contemplation and an education in the classics and science. The estate belongs to the narrator’s uncle, who took him in after the death of his parents.
The narrator is now despondent because Amy, the woman he loves, has broken their engagement and plans to marry another man. She apparently made the decision at her parents’ insistence on the grounds that the other man has more desirable prospects. After recalling in detail idyllic walks on the beach with Amy, the narrator denounces her bitterly and predicts that her husband will mistreat and neglect her. Unable to forget Amy, he questions the nature and endurance of love. Amy may find comfort from her husband’s predicted aloofness in the love of a child, but the narrator imagines her hypocritically warning her own daughter of the dangers of yielding to one’s emotions.
In order to forget Amy, the narrator resolves to turn to further adventures. Economic forces in his society deny him access to military glory or commercial success. He recalls the dreams of his younger years, when he saw infinite possibilities for both himself and others, including technological advances and the advent of an international government that would eliminate war. The future no longer seems so positive to the narrator in his present depressed mood, however. He makes dire predictions of a world overcome by an increasingly hungry population. Platitudes that have previously reassured him that all is for the best are powerless against his current emotions.
The narrator’s friends sound a horn to call for him, and he is brought out of his reveries into the present. In a violent reaction to the returning memory of his lost love, he denounces all women as inferior to men and seeks a more distant escape from his stifling society. He will return to India, where his father fell in battle defending Britain’s empire, or he may travel even farther. He dreams of exotic and isolated islands where he could lead a carefree life surrounded by the beauty of nature.
Once again, however, the dream fails him. He realizes that he will never be able to give up his own country. European culture, moving ahead with the advances of modern science, dominates the globe and offers him a life superior to any found elsewhere. With this triumphal conclusion, the narrator turns definitively away from Locksley Hall. He no longer cares what happens to the estate, as he prepares to seek happiness elsewhere.
Bibliography
Alden, Raymond Macdonald. Alfred Tennyson: How to Know Him. Indianapolis, Ind.: Bobbs-Merrill, 1917. This early study compares the story to a novel, highlighting the hero’s evolving emotions.
Bloom, Harold, ed. Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House, 1985. An essay by A. Dwight Culler in this collection of Tennyson criticism compares the reaction of “Locksley Hall” to catastrophe to that of Tennyson’s “Maud” (1855) and traces the origins of the monologue form in Arabian poetry.
Goslee, David. Tennyson’s Characters: “Strange Faces, Other Minds.” Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1989. Draws on readings by several other critics to reveal the weaknesses of the poem’s narrator.
Hughes, Linda K. The Manyfacèd Glass: Tennyson’s Dramatic Monologues. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1987. Dwelling on the role of time, this study sees the remembered past and visions of the future in “Locksley Hall” as defining both the poem’s narrator and his society.
Kissane, James D. Alfred Tennyson. New York: Twayne, 1970. The chapter “The Dramatic Poet” outlines the independent persona of the narrator and the role of Locksley Hall itself as an emblem of his past.
Shaw, David W. Alfred, Lord Tennyson: The Poet in an Age of Theory. Twayne’s English Authors Series 525. New York: Twayne, 1996. This general study presents the hero as Byronic and alternating between opposing emotions. Here, his violent feelings mask a failure to assume responsibility.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Tennyson’s Style. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1976. This study sees various stages of the poem progressively modifying the story.
Smith, Elton Edward. Tennyson’s “Epic Drama.” Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1997. This reading shows the hero progressing from negative jealousy to a positive and hopeful resolution.
Wright, F. W. Nielsen. Tennyson, Locksley Hall Then and After, and “The Alexandrians, an Epic Poem”: An Essay in Literary Derivation. Wellington, New Zealand: Cultural and Political Booklets, 2007. Detailed study of the relationship between “Locksley Hall” and an epic poem of New Zealand.