Alfred Tennyson

2 7.6

An English poet of the 1800s who was the official poet for Queen Victoria

proper noun
/ˈælfərd ˈtɛnɪsən/

: Alfred Tennyson

Alfred Tennyson was appointed as Poet Laureate by Queen Victoria in 1850.

Examples

Many students study Alfred Tennyson when learning about nineteenth-century English literature.
Alfred Tennyson is known for his famous poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade.'
His poem In Memoriam reflects the deep sorrow of loss and the passage of time.
Alfred Tennyson is a famous poet.
I love Alfred Tennyson!
Alfred Tennyson was appointed as Poet Laureate by Queen Victoria in 1850.
Many students study Alfred Tennyson when learning about nineteenth-century English literature.

Synonyms

Tennyson

vsAlfred Tennyson

Literature

9 8.4

A famous English poet of the Victorian era known for In Memoriam and The Charge of the Light Brigade

is about the official court position and title rather than general influence

Alfred Lord Tennyson

vsAlfred Tennyson

1 7.9

English poet in Queen Victoria's time who wrote famous poems like The Charge of the Light Brigade

is the same person but given in the simpler untitled form

Surface Forms

Alfred Tennyson main

Morphology

Alfred + Tennyson

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the literal constituents 'Alfred' and 'Tennyson' do not compose to the meaning 'English poet' in any predictable way. Identifying this as a famous poet requires world knowledge or prior exposure rather than compositional inference from the parts, so a B1 learner knowing the names would not reliably derive the meaning.

Etymology

Alfred Tennyson was a famous English poet in the 1800s who became the queen's official poet, or 'poet laureate'. He wrote poems like 'In Memoriam' about loss and 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' about brave soldiers, so his name now stands for a leading poet of that time.