Idylls of the King

Predominantly, Lord Tennyson seems to be an outstanding poet during the Victorian period. The poem Idylls of the King is one of the composition that has a lasting value for the readers. It is based on the era of English history. The various part of the poem composition took place in a period of four decades. The death of Arthur Hallam inspired the poet in writing the epic. The title, Idylls of the King indicates that the components of the poem are separate. The narrative of the poem is not continuous nut consists of a number of individual narratives. The poet discusses the reign of the king, discussion of his ancestry, and a mysterious demise of Arthur. Furthermore, Tennyson explores conflict, heroism, and the supernatural. He identifies matters of human achievement and nobility.

Lord Tennyson focuses on different characters in the poetry. For instance, he mentions Sir Modred severally to foreshadow his significance later in the literary works. The poet refers to Lancelot and Guinevere are referred to as part of the conscious of the characters. Througought the entire literary work, readers easily trace the moral theme of noble ideal despite the innocence of the king. The poet illustrates sin as a corrosive entity that spreads like a fungus. According to Tennyson, evil cannot be dealt with without the root cause just like the way medics cannot successfully cure an illness. However, Arthur has a weakness of having an inability to cope with evil. He makes a mistake of having a perception that he would establish a new order for the immoral people.

In my opinion, I think that The Idyll poem lacks the unity of an epic literature.  However, the Tennyson’s analysis is a clear demonstration that the unconnected episodes are related to the central theme in the poetry work. The poet uses interesting stories and provoking insight on the corrosive effects of sin. All the episodes have profound knowledge of the nature of evil and good. I can easily identify moral decay as a central theme in the Idyll poem. It forms a connective link to the poem. Tennyson uses symbolism to illustrate the theme of moral decay. The mood of the literary work makes the composition less optimistic. Furthermore, the Idylls has different epic elements having noble ideals of the overwhelming influence of evil.

Arthur’s titanic struggle ends in a defeat. The background of the conflict antagonism between evil and good is the story of Elaine, Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot as the main characters of the poem. Lancelot illustrates the character of a chivalrous man ruined by his life passions. On the contrary, the poet depicts Arthur as a failure, thus making the entire description to have a heavy-handed quality.

One of the weaknesses in the Idylls poem is that the blank verse are too shallow in the use of imagery and other literary devices. Nevertheless, Tennysson is a great poet, thus, making the Idyll of the King an outstanding poem. Apparently, Tennyson is a talented individual and uses the skills of poetry. Additionally, he is a great stylist in the use of descriptive lyrics. Furthermore, Tennyson has a metrical and rhythmic precision that are even duplicated by other poets. His literary work has a stylish polish.

The poem is framed by the passing of Arthur. It is clear that the poet describes the rise and fall of the Arthur’s kingdom. Additionally, Tennyson demonstrates the decline of the Arthurian ideal. I think that Arthur acts as a leader at the beginning of the poem based on his outstanding skills of leadership. Subsequently, the leader surrounds himself with a group of dedicated knights, who have an ambition to uphold their sexual purity. However, the knights restricts themselves to monogamous sexual relationships to uphold their dignity as women.

Although Tennyson recognized the Idylls poem as allegorical, he refuses to make literal identifications of the characters and situations. The poet expresses his ideal through the literary work and about the British Empire to enhance social order in the society. In the poem, Lancelot and Guinevere commits a sexual sin resulting to the acts of corruption and betrayal. The act is a clear indicator of the existing moral decay. It is apparent that Tennyson concentrates on the adultery act between Lancelot and Guinevere. I think that the main motivation for Tennyson was to enlighten people on the importance of standard conduct. The editions of the poem Idylls of the King varies greatly. One of the Tennyson’s unique style is the use of blank verses. It is clear that the poet lacks tragic interest in the analysis of characters, such, as King Mark and Ettarre. However, Arthur seems to be an uninspiring cuckold. It is apparent that the concession to a materialistic Victorian ethic betrays the poet’s vision of enhancing spirituality in the world. The poet reflects the thoughts and perception among his generation. Tennyson clearly indicates that critical thinking is the starting point of philosophy. Idylls of the King shows the problems that had been in existence in poetry. One of the questions confronting the characters is how to save the world.