. 4tM r^ ANALYSIS OF MR. TENNYSON'S "IN MEMORIAM." By the late Rev. Frederick W. Robertson OP BRIGHTON-. TWELFTH EDITION. LONDON: KEGAN PAUL. TRENCH, & CO., i PATERNOSTER SQUARE. 1884. [J'lie rights of translation and of reproduction arc 7-ese)fed) BV PERMISSION, THESE NOTES ON THK "IN MEiMORIAM" ARE DEDICATED TO / ALFRED TENNYSON, D.C.L POET LAUREATE, IN TOKEN OF THEIR AUTHOR'S REVERENCB FOR HIS WORKS. Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive in 2007 witli funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation littp://www.arcliive.org/details/analysisofmrtennOOrobeiala PREFACE The following Notes on " In Memoriam " were written by Mr. Robertfon at the requeft of a friend ; and now that the memory of the Writer holds in fo many minds a pofition analogous to that defcribed in the Poem, it has been thought that thefe Notes might intereft the much wider public who know Mr. Robertfon only through his works. The fubjoined extract from a Lecture on Poetry delivered by Mr. Robertfon feveral years ago will ferve to indicate his general eftimate of this exqulfite Poem: — PREFACE. ** This Ledlure* will be appropriately clofed by a brief notice of the laft work of our chief living poet, Alfred Tennyfon. '' The poem entitled ' In Memoriam ' is a monument eredled by friendfliip to the memory of a gifted fon of the hiftorian Hallam. It is divided into a number of cabinet-like compartments, which, with fine and delicate fhadas of difference, exhibit the various phafes through which the bereaved fpirit paffes from the first fhock of despair, dull, hopelefs mifery and rebellion, up to the dawn of hope, acquiefcent trull, and even calm happinefs again. In the meanwhile many a queftion has been folved, which can only suggeft itfelf when fuffering forces the foul to front the realities of our myfterious exiftence j fuch as : Is there indeed a life * From "I/eAY. Succeffive moods. Forced mirth fucceeded by tears, filence, and then by degrees fweeter hope. ANALYSIS OF 31 PRESENT ftate of the departed. Queftions thereon fuggefted by the peculiar cafe of Lazarus. 32 T AZARUs' fifter. Love fuperfeded and intensified by higher love. 33 ■pvANGER of unfettling fimple faith by unfixing it from form. *' IN MEMORIAM.' 34 npHE univerfe a dark enigma, and life meaninglefs, feparate irom the fuppofition ot immortality. 35 A ND love itfelf without that belief would be a fatyr's feeling. 36 'T^HE bleffing of having Truth incarnated in a Life in Chrift. ANALYSIS UF 3/ 'T~'HE apology. Appearance of profanation in the introdu many, as to me, one of forrow. They are my brothers. 100 ^N this day all things bring him back me by aflbciation ; and he dies afrefh. to lOI '"pHOUGHTS on quitting the home of child- hood. Round all thefe fpots and objedls new aflbciations will gather for ftrangers. *' IN MEMORIAM," 102 rpvERY fpot has a twofold aflbciation: one of happy childhood, the other of bereaved friendfhip. 103 npHE night before the departure a vifion prefents the thought, that, his memory going with us, the fpirit of all that is wife and good and graceful fails with us in thf life- voyage. ANALYSIS OF 104 '"pHE found of the unfamiliar church bells (of the new parifh) heard by night. 105 /^HRiSTMAS-EVE in the new home — how different ! Old cuftoms cannot be trans- planted hither. 106 'VTEW year bells. " Forget the things behind." " IN MEMORIAM.' lo: r Tis birthday celebrated cheerfully. io8 TTUMAN fympathy needful to ripen the fruit of forrow. W 109 HAT he was. H no IS influence on others. ANALYSIS 0J« III '"pHE perfedt gentleman. 112 '"pHE inexhauftiblenefs and growth of his nature. "3 /^NE who would have been equal to all emergencies. 114 "ly'NowLEDGE lefs high than charity. In him both were blended. " IN MEMORIAM. QPRiNG : and fpring hopes. 116 "n EviviNG Nature fuggefts feelings in which regret for paft friendfhip pafTes away in anticipations of a ftronger bond which is CO be. 117 '■pHis feparation will only enhance the bleflednefs of meeting. ANALYSIS OF ii8 '"TpHE paft hiftory ot cieation, paffing from chaos into life, is a type of our exiftence, which furely is to afcend from the animal into the fpiritual. He is nobler than he was. 119 TV^EMORY can recall and dwell upon the thought of him now without a pang. " IN MEMORIAM. 120 -npHE good which has come from thefe utterances, proves the ethereal nature of our humanity, which is influenced by caufes more fubtle and refined than the phrenolo- uift and materialift dream of. 121 rjESPER - Phosphor. Grief has flowly changed its mood, as the evening ftar pafTes into the morning ftar. ANALYSIS OF 122 A PROFOUND fenfe of bleflednefs, amounr- ing even to ecftacy. 123 'VTO farewell to him. Amidft the change- fulnefs of the outward world, my fpirit remains fteadfaft. 124 'T~s. The above Works can also be had bound in half-morocco. London : KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, & CO. X-3n3'=r