Unquestionably one of the greatest voices in English poetry, Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote verse of unequalled majesty and profound lyrical strength, becoming Poet Laureate in 1850. But his position as the Victorians’ favourite poet masks his subtlety and complexity.

The poems collected here show the range of his styles and the astonishing quality of his finest work; lines, verses, even entire poems have become an integral part of the English language, not just its literature. But they also show a man unsure of his faith or man’s place in a rapidly changing world. Tennyson explored urgent social, political and personal issues through his matchless poetical gifts.

This selection includes The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Lady of Shalott, Ulysses, Tithonus, Break, Break, Break, excerpts from In Memoriam and many more.