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Alfred Lord Tennyson is one of Britain’s greatest and most popular poets. Even during his lifetime, he was considered a national institution: Queen Victoria appointed him Poet Laureate in 1850, a position he held for 42 years, and in 1884 he became the first writer to be granted a baronetcy. In a long and fruitful career, he penned numerous classic works, and this BBC Radio collection showcases some of the very best. We begin with two of his masterpieces, dramatised by award-winning poet Michael Symmons Roberts.

The 200th anniversary of the birth of Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892), one of the most popular of poets, is celebrated in 2009. Works such as The Charge of the Light Brigade, Crossing the Bar and Tears, Idle Tears have made him an internationally famous figure, and the second most quoted writer of all time (after Shakespeare).

Lovers of legends know that this is the finest retelling of the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table; lovers of literature know that this is the greatest of all 19th-century narrative poems. In Tennyson’s gloriously written tale of swashbuckling feats on and off the jousting field, the honour of maidens, knights, queens and kings is won or lost. Above all, the Quest for the Holy Grail spurs the bravest of knights on to deeds of terrifying foolhardiness and courage.

"The King will follow Christ, and we the King In whom high God hath breathed a secret thing. Fall battleaxe, and flash brand! Let the King reign." This book is a novelisation of The Coming of Arthur from Tennyson's Idylls of the King. It describes the start of the Arthurian world, This is not the polished Camelot we often picture, but a raw, uncertain Britain on the brink of becoming something greater, or falling apart, written in a way that offers a commentary of the Britain of Tennyson’s own time.

"And still he cried, 'Ah me, the knighthood's gone, The glory gone, and I am here alone!'" The Last Tournament is a tale that explores the complex nature of chivalry, loyalty, and the unraveling of ideals in a world that once prized honor above all else. Set against the turbulent backdrop of Arthurian legend, it focuses on the waning days of Camelot, where once-untouchable knights like Lancelot, Tristram, and Gawain are forced to confront the consequences of their actions, both on the battlefield and in their hearts. It is a story not merely of jousts and glory, but of fractured allegiances...

"Late, late, so late! and dark the night and chill! Late, late, so late! but we can enter still. Too late, too late! ye cannot enter now." Guinevere begins as the radiant bride of King Arthur, chosen not only for her beauty but as the woman who might help him build a new moral order in Camelot. Yet despite Arthur’s love and her high place, Guinevere falls into a forbidden passion with Sir Lancelot, the noblest of Arthur’s knights. Their secret love becomes the fatal flaw in the Round Table’s ideal.

"Turn, Fortune, turn thy wheel with smile or frown; With that wild wheel we go not up or down; Our hoard is little, but our hearts are great. The Marriage of Geraint is one of the most poignant and introspective tales in Tennyson's Idylls of the King. It is not a story of war or grand heroics, but of personal struggle, love, and loyalty tested under quiet and complex circumstances. Geraint, a noble knight of King Arthur's Round Table, embarks on a journey not to prove his courage or strength, but to understand the true nature of his marriage to Enid, a woman of humble birth but noble heart....

"Love lieth deep; love dwells not in lip-depths." In this tender and tragic idyll, the innocent Elaine of Astolat falls deeply in love with Sir Lancelot, who cannot return her feelings. Bound by his love for Queen Guinevere, Lancelot's heart is unreachable, and Elaine's devotion leads her to a sorrowful fate; a poignant tale of unrequited love, honour, and heartbreak in the shadow of Camelot.

"'Now the Holy Thing is among us once again. So fast, brother, and pray. Tell the others to fast and pray, that perchance the vision may come to you too—and to them—and so the world may be healed.'" This book is a novelisation of The Holy Grail, Book 8 of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. In this account of the Grail legend, Percivale, having retired to a monastery, recounts to a fellow monk his experience of the Grail quest. This prose version is intended to make the poem more accessible to the general reader and students of the poem, as well as being a good read in itself.

"Blind love, blind hate, desire of emprise, / And pride, and all the weakness of the man." In this powerful story of honour and pride, the knight Balin struggles to control his fierce temper and live by the ideals of King Arthur's court. But when he is deceived by the cunning Vivien, his path takes a dark turn. A fateful clash with his twin brother Balan leads to a heartbreaking end.

"I am a man now. I must do a man's work. Follow the deer? No, follow Christ. Follow the King. Live pure. Speak true. Right wrong. Follow the King. Why else was I born?" Gareth, the youngest son of King Lot, embarks on a daring quest to rescue a maiden, throwing off his disguise as a kitchen-knave to reveal himself as a true knight who is eager to prove himself among the greatest of King Arthur's Round Table.

The lyrical ballad The Lady of Shalott is one of Tennyson's best-known and best-loved poems. It is based on the story of Elaine of Astolat, a figure from Arthurian legend, who dies from her unrequited love for Sir Lancelot. The subject matter provided inspiration for many of the Pre-Raphaelite painters. Tennyson published two versions of the poem, both of which are included in this recording. The first was written in 1832, and the second—the better-known of the two versions—in 1842.

This poet of Victorian times was held in awe for his magnificent works, including "In Memoriam", "Morte D'Arthur", and "Charge of the Light Brigade". His language and command of vocabulary seem particularly in keeping with the grand sweep of Victorian ambition. Many selections are asembled here and read with great character by Dame Sybil Thorndike, Sir Edward Casson, and Robert Speaight.

"And the new sun rose bringing the new year." This is the last book in the Idylls in Prose series. It tells of Arthur's betrayal by Modred and his last last battle. This concluding section doesn't merely recount Arthur's death; it explores the profound impact of his passing on his kingdom and the enduring legacy of his ideals. It is a profound meditation on mortality, loss, and the cyclical nature of time, ending on a note of optimism with a new dawn.

Arguably the most famous poem from Arthurian legend. Lords, ladies, anticipation, and isolation are all interwoven in this tale of longing and resignation. How will the Lady of Shallot be remembered? Classic literature narrated by Glenn Hascall.

"Make me a little happier: let me know it: Owe you me nothing for a life half-lost?" This Idyll continues the story of Geraint and Enid from Book 3. Geraint suspects that Enid no longer loves him, though she has done nothing to deserve his doubt. Without explaining himself, he asks her to ride with him on a long and dangerous journey, during which he forbids her to speak to him. Though hurt and confused, Enid obeys, warning him of danger along the way and helping him in silence, even as he risks his life again and again.

Born to a father plagued by bouts of drinking and depression, and surrounded by siblings with similar ailments, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, grew up believing that he must be a victim of hereditary illness, to the point that he believed he must never marry or father children less he perpetuate the suffering on future generations. With these thoughts always in his head, he turned his mind towards a near worship of romantic love, while at the same time repeatedly painting a tragic ending for his most cherished characters, many of whom seemed to die of a broken heart.

"If I am dear to someone else, then I must act as though I am worth the care. Even if I cannot yet feel it fully, I must begin to believe that I am worth saving. Because to be loved by another is not only a gift, it is a call to rise, to heal, to protect what has been seen as worthy." Maud is a narrative poem by Tennyson which tells the story of a tormented man who falls for the beautiful and enigmatic Maud, a love that promises salvation but spirals into obsession and despair. This book is a novelisation of Maud, intended to make the poem more accessible to the general reader and students ...

"Pelleas could only stare. Is Guinevere herself so beautiful? he wondered. The lady's violet eyes were wide and luminous; her skin seemed lit by a dawn from some unclouded heaven. Her limbs bore the grace of full womanhood, and yet her form was slender and her hand delicate. She might have seemed no more than a lovely plaything, but those eyes, deep and mocking, hinted at something sharper." In Pelleas and Ettarre, Tennyson presents a tragic episode in which Sir Pelleas, a young and idealistic knight, enters Arthur's court full of chivalric fervour and romantic hope. He falls hopelessly in ...

The armies of the Dark Lord are massing as his evil shadow spreads even wider. Men, Dwarves, Elves, and Ents unite forces to battle against the Dark. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam struggle further into Mordor in their heroic quest to destroy the One Ring. The devastating conclusion of J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic tale of adventure, begun in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.