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Walton says of the poet and the angler； they 〃were born to be so〃：
we know no more。
The region in which the paternal hamlet of Somersby lies； 〃a land of
quiet villages； large fields； grey hillsides； and noble tall…towered
churches； on the lower slope of a Lincolnshire wold；〃 does not appear
to have been rich in romantic legend and tradition。 The folk…lore of
Lincolnshire； of which examples have been published； does seem to
have a peculiar poetry of its own； but it was rather the humorous
than the poetical aspect of the country…people that Tennyson appears
to have known。 In brief； we have nothing to inform us as to how
genius came into that generation of Tennysons which was born between
1807 and 1819。 A source and a cause there must have been； but these
things are hidden； except from popular science。
Precocity is not a sign of genius； but genius is perhaps always
accompanied by precocity。 This is especially notable in the cases of
painting； music； and mathematics； but in the matter of literature
genius may chiefly show itself in acquisition； as in Sir Walter
Scott； who when a boy knew much； but did little that would attract
notice。 As a child and a boy young Tennyson was remarked both for
acquisition and performance。 His own reminiscences of his childhood
varied somewhat in detail。 In one place we learn that at the age of
eight he covered a slate with blank verse in the manner of Jamie
Thomson； the only poet with whom he was then acquainted。 In another
passage he says； 〃The first poetry that moved me was my own at five
years old。 When I was eight I remember making a line I thought
grander than Campbell； or Byron； or Scott。 I rolled it out； it was
this …
'With slaughterous sons of thunder rolled the flood' …
great nonsense； of course； but I thought it fine！〃
It WAS fine； and was thoroughly Tennysonian。 Scott； Campbell； and
Byron probably never produced a line with the qualities of this
nonsense verse。 〃Before I could read I was in the habit on a stormy
day of spreading my arms to the wind and crying out； 'I hear a voice
that's speaking in the wind；' and the words 'far； far away' had
always a strange charm for me。〃 A late lyric has this overword； FAR；
FAR AWAY！
A boy of eight who knew the contemporary poets was more or less
precocious。 Tennyson also knew Pope； and wrote hundreds of lines in
Pope's measure。 At twelve the boy produced an epic； in Scott's
manner； of some six thousand lines。 He 〃never felt himself more
truly inspired；〃 for the sense of 〃inspiration〃 （as the late Mr Myers
has argued in an essay on the 〃Mechanism of Genius〃） has little to do
with the actual value of the product。 At fourteen Tennyson wrote a
drama in blank verse。 A chorus from this play （as one guesses）； a
piece from 〃an unpublished drama written very early；〃 is published in
the volume of 1830：…
〃The varied earth； the moving heaven；
The rapid waste of roving sea；
The fountain…pregnant mountains riven
To shapes of wildest anarchy；
By secret fire and midnight storms
That wander round their windy cones。〃
These lines are already Tennysonian。 There is the classical
transcript； 〃the varied earth；〃 daedala tellus。 There is the
geological interest in the forces that shape the hills。 There is the
use of the favourite word 〃windy；〃 and later in the piece …
〃The troublous autumn's SALLOW gloom。〃
The young poet from boyhood was original in his manner。
Byron made him blase at fourteen。 Then Byron died； and Tennyson
scratched on a rock 〃Byron is dead；〃 on 〃a day when the whole world
seemed darkened for me。〃 Later he considered Byron's poetry 〃too
much akin to rhetoric。〃 〃Byron is not an artist or a thinker； or a
creator in the higher sense； but a strong personality； he is
endlessly clever； and is now unduly depreciated。〃 He 〃did give the
world another heart and new pulses； and so we are kept going。〃 But
〃he was dominated by Byron till he was seventeen； when he put him
away altogether。〃
In his boyhood； despite the sufferings which he endured for a while
at school at Louth； despite bullying from big boys and masters；
Tennyson would 〃shout his verses to the skies。〃 〃Well； Arthur； I
mean to be famous；〃 he used to say to one of his brothers。 He
observed nature very closely by the brook and the thundering sea…
shores： he was never a sportsman； and his angling was in the manner
of the lover of The Miller's Daughter。 He was seventeen （1826） when
Poems by Two Brothers （himself and his brother Frederick） was
published with the date 1827。 These poems contain； as far as I have
been able to discover； nothing really Tennysonian。 What he had done
in his own manner was omitted； 〃being thought too much out of the
common for the public taste。〃 The young poet had already saving
common…sense； and understood the public。 Fragments of the true gold
are found in the volume of 1830； others are preserved in the
Biography。 The ballad suggested by The Bride of Lammermoor was not
unworthy of Beddoes； and that novel； one cannot but think； suggested
the opening situation in Maud； where the hero is a modern Master of
Ravenswood in his relation to the rich interloping family and the
beautiful daughter。 To this point we shall return。 It does not
appear that Tennyson was conscious in Maud of the suggestion from
Scott； and the coincidence may be merely accidental。
The Lover's Tale； published in 1879； was mainly a work of the poet's
nineteenth year。 A few copies had been printed for friends。 One of
these； with errors of the press； and without the intended
alterations； was pirated by an unhappy man in 1875。 In old age
Tennyson brought out the work of his boyhood。 〃It was written before
I had ever seen Shelley； though it is called Shelleyan；〃 he said； and
indeed he believed that his work had never been imitative； after his
earliest efforts in the manner of Thomson and of Scott。 The only
things in The Lover's Tale which would suggest that the poet here
followed Shelley are the Italian scene of the story； the character of
the versification； and the extraordinary luxuriance and exuberance of
the imagery。 ｛2｝ As early as 1868 Tennyson heard that written copies
of The Lover's Tale were in circulation。 He then remarked； as to the
exuberance of the piece： 〃Allowance must be made for abundance of
youth。 It is rich and full； but there are mistakes in it。 。 。 。 The
poem is the breath of young love。〃
How truly Tennysonian the manner is may be understood even from the
opening lines； full of the original cadences which were to become so
familiar：…
〃Here far away； seen from the topmost cliff；
Filling with purple gloom the vacancies
Between the tufted hills； the sloping seas
Hung in mid…heaven； and half way down rare sails；
White as white clouds； floated from sky to sky。〃
The narrative in parts one and two （which alone were written in
youth） is so choked with images and descriptions as to be almost
obscure。 It is the story； practically； of a love like that of Paul
and Virginia； but the love is not returned by the girl； who prefers
the friend of the narrator。 Like the hero of Maud； the speaker has a
period