Today, the poetry of Alfred Lord Tennyson is widely known and appreciated, although this was not always the case. In his early years of writing, his poems were criticized for their content and writing style. This greatly impacted Tennyson and caused him to stop writing for nine years. Tennyson's childhood influenced his writing and this is often seen in many of his poems. He was considered the leading exponent of the Victorian era in poetry. He became Poet Laureate in 1850 and was appointed by Queen Victoria and served 42 years. Alfred Lord Tennyson's poetry was greatly influenced by his early childhood, his best friend, and his religious beliefs; while his rhyme scheme was traditional; his morbid style was not popular for his time. This melancholic style of writing and use of topics related to the moral and intellectual beliefs of his time were particularly vulnerable to later criticism. Tennyson's life at home was not always happy. His father, George, began teaching at Tennyson after four unhappy years of schooling. George taught his sons classical and modern languages. However, George, as well as some of Tennyson's brothers, suffered from epileptic fits. One of Tennyson's brothers had violent quarrels with his father, one was later committed to an insane asylum, and yet another became an opium addict. George often suffered from depression and his drinking made him violent, abusive and paranoid. "Tennyson's grandfather named his uncle his heir and his father was placed in the ministry." (The Victorian Web) This large difference in money between his own family and that of his uncle and aunt led Tennyson to worry about money throughout his life. In 1827, Tennyson left his home in hopes of a better life. He followed two of his old ...... middle of paper ...... very attractive. Alfred Lord Tennyson's poetry was greatly influenced by his environment. His father was a clergyman who, later in life, suffered from epilepsy and fell into bouts of alcoholism and depression. His very close friend and brother-in-law Hallam died suddenly, leaving Tennyson stung and deeply saddened. His wife Emily Sellwood's family called off their marriage when he lost his money, only to rearrange it when he became a well-known writer. In one part of each of Tennyson's poems you will find an example of his life, or his feelings about his life and its events. "TS Eliot called him 'the great master of meter as well as of melancholy' and that he possessed the finest ear of any English poet since Milton." (Online literature) Despite Tennyson's family history of health problems, he lived a long life and died aged 83 in October. 6, 1892