Elizabeth Gaskell - The Life of Charlotte Bronte - Vol I: "Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdo

The life of Alfred Tennyson, born in 1809, is marked by early challenges, including a difficult education and a strained family dynamic. His time at Trinity College led to friendships that shaped his literary career, particularly with Arthur Hallam, whose death inspired Tennyson's poignant elegy, "In Memoriam." Despite early setbacks in publishing, Tennyson achieved immense success by the 1840s, becoming the pre-eminent Victorian poet and eventually Poet Laureate. His later works, including "Idylls of the Kings," solidified his legacy before his passing in 1892.