A COMMENTARY ON TENNYSON'S IN MEMORIAM - Preface to the Third Edition

Sep 20, 2026

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Literary criticism focused on Alfred Tennyson’s In Memoriam, providing interpretive commentary structured around named parts of the work such as a Prologue and an Epilogue, with the remaining components treated as sections or poems. The third-edition preface explains that the main commentary largely remains unchanged except for correcting misprints, while additions and revisions are organized into an appendix. The text also notes how later editorial materials include notes associated with the poet himself and the editor, and it emphasizes their interpretive authority and occasional uncertainty due to the poet’s later recollections.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages274

Reading Time7 h 2 min

AccessFree to download

Preface to the Third Edition

Notes on the Author's notes and editorial additions

Preface to the First Edition

Structure: Prologue, Epilogue, sections and poems

Reference method: Roman numerals and line numbers

ychwww.forgottenbooks.comroni emV Copyright C2016 FB &c Ltd. All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced,distributed,or transmitted in any form or by any means,including photocopying,recording,or other electronic or mechanical methods,without the prior written permissionof the publisher,except in the case of brief quotations embodied in criticalreviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. # A COMMENTARY ON TENNYSON'SIN MEMORIAM MACMILLAN AND CO.,LI MITEDLONDON。BOMBAY·CALCUTTAMELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN COMPANYNEW YORK·BOSTON .CHICAGOATLANTA·SAN FRANCISCO THE MACMILLAN CO.OF CANADA,LTD. TORONTO # Commentary onTennyson'sIn Mem oriam C.Bradley Formerly Professor of Poetry in the University of Oxford Third Edition,Revised MACMILLAN AND CO.,LIMITED ST.MARTIN'S STREET,LONDON First Edition,1901. Second Edition,1902.Reprinted,1907.Third Edition,1910. GLASGOW:PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESSBY ROBERT MACLEHOSE AND CO. LTD. # TOTHE BELOVED MEMORY OF GEORGE GROVE PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. IN the interest of possessors of the SecondEdition,it has seemed best to leave the Com-mentary unchanged (save for the removal of twoor three misprints),and to place the additions andcorrections which distinguish this Edition in anAppendix by themselves. They are occasioned,for the most part,by theappearance of the present Lord Tennyson's editionof In Memoriam(I905),which contains,togetherwith matter already used in the preparation of thisCommentary,a number of notes written or dic-tated by the poet himself,and others contributedby the editor. The former are referred to in myAppendix as'the Author's notes.Generally,they must be taken as decisive,though it shouldbe borne in mind that,as was natural,the poet inhis later years did not in all cases remember hisoriginal meaning accurately(see e.g.the note onb viiiPreface to the Third Edition ‘the sea-blue bird of March'on p.I86 of theCommentary). With one or two exceptions,I have referredonly to such notes in Lord Tennyson's edition asconfirm,correct,or illustrate my own interpreta-tions. There are many other interesting notes,which the reader should consult. April,I9IO. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. As most readers of a book are said to ignore thePreface,I will beg anyone who may intend to usethis Commentary to read,for his own sake,thefirst two of the following paragraphs. The stanzas beginning Strong Son of God,withwhich In Memoriam opens,are called in thesepages the‘Prologue';the stanzas at the end,beginning O true and tried,the'Epilogue';theI3I intervening pieces are called'sections,'or,where the word could not be misunderstood,‘poems.' The sections are referred to by Romannumerals,their lines by Arabic:thus‘XL.Io'means'section XL.,line Io.' I found it indis-pensable to refer usually to lines,not stanzas. Inthe case of the shorter sections this will give thereader no trouble,but he will find it convenientto number the lines of a few longer ones. I amsorry that in referring to many of Tennyson'sother poems I was unable to guide the reader tothe passage in question,as the lines are notnumbered.

FAQs

What changes were made for the Third Edition of the commentary?

The main commentary was left unchanged aside from removing a few misprints, while additions and corrections distinguishing this edition were placed in an appendix.

How does the author describe the structure of In Memoriam?

The stanzas at the beginning are called the “Prologue,” the stanzas at the end the “Epilogue,” and the intervening parts are called “sections” or, where needed, “poems.”

How are references to passages in In Memoriam made in this commentary?

Sections are identified by Roman numerals and lines by Arabic numerals, for example “section XL., line 10.” The commentary often refers to lines rather than stanzas.

Sep 20, 2026

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