Full Description
Tennyson's interest in Goethe's masterpiece began around 1824. It reached a remarkable level of intensity in 1833-34, and continued, intermittently, until 1855. The powerful influence that Faust exerted on his writings was mediated, most notably, by the translations of Abraham Hayward (1801-84), and it was often combined with that of a number of closely related works, by authors including Schiller, Byron, Shelley and Carlyle. This book reveals for the first time that Goethe's masterpiece is a presence in at least two dozen of Tennyson's poems, including several that are part of the canon of British literature.
Contents
Acknowledgements Abbreviations Preface
Introduction: Faust and British Literature, c. 1810-92
I: The Death of Arthur Hallam
1 'I am to die already!': the Gretchen Tragedy
2 'To strive onwards': 'Ulysses', Progress and Trances
3 'Out of Orcus into Life': Hallam and Part Two
II: Religion, Nature and Morality
4 'Two souls, alas, dwell in my breast': Religious Doubt
5 'Unveil thyself!': Faust and the Natural World
6 'The kiss of heavenly love': Saints and Sinners
'Last words'
Conclusion
Bibliography Index
