Poem of the Week – The Eagle by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1851)

Occupying the office of Poet Laureate for almost forty-two years (1850-1892), Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s easy eloquence and passion came to epitomise Victorian-era poetry. Criticism of his earliest work accused the poet of being excessively fustian and florid, but he also received praise from prominent figures like Samuel Taylor Coleridge for his technical feats.

He gradually developed an enormous capacity for narrative, symbolism, sound and syntax, virtues that gained him national fame and critical acclaim. His Mozart-level gifts for lyrical rhythms and inventive rhymes ensured him an active and leading role in the evolution of English literature through most of the 19th century.

Unlike Browning, who was at times too intellectual, and Swinburne, who at times was too emotional, Tennyson struck an appealing balance between effusiveness and insight, sadness and realisation. His natural intelligence never interfered with his expressiveness, and his sensitivity seldom distracts from his sagacity.

This week’s poem is called The Eagle. Some readers have attempted to understand any symbolic significance in the poem’s imagery. Does the winged Lord of the mountain represent courage and strength? Is the scene a succinct Christian allegory?

Whatever your interpretation, we hope you enjoy this week’s poem as much as we did.

The Eagle by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1851)

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.