Alfred Tennyson Religious doubt 'In Memoriam'?

Question

Have been reading alot of Tennyson lately and keep finding contradictory reports about his religious beliefs - just wanting some ideas about Tennysons religious feeling in 'In Memoriam' particularly in XXIX. Any thoughts would be most useful.
Thanks

Answer 1

You can find many articles on this subject online.
Try this:
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/tennyson/im/religionov.html

Answer 2

Considered in Tennyson’s time his finest poetic achievement, IN MEMORIAM has since lost some of its appeal, except to specialists in literary history. In the Victorian period, the religious issues raised in the poem gave it a special significance. Tennyson describes how grief and despair over Hallam’s death and skepticism caused by new scientific theories led him to question his Christian faith.
"In Memoriam" brings up the question of religious faith and the light of new scientific discoveries. In Canto 118, stanza six, Tennyson is comparing life to ore, the raw state of metal. He talks about how life is full of emotion and how emotions give humans character and make people better like the sadness he feels towards Hallam’s death. (Christ 1127)
One of the most controversial issues of the Victorian age concerned the theory of evolution. This new and controversial issue is seen and discussed in Tennyson’s " In Memoriam". The success and influence of "In Memoriam" illustrates its truly representative quality. The Victorians loved it and were moved by it because it dealt seriously and beautifully with the very problems that most concerned them; problems arising from the gradual fading out of the older spiritual lights in the harsh Dawn of a new and more positive age. "In Memoriam" mediated on mans place in nature and the impact of science upon religious faith. (Christ 1571) By discovering that we were not created but evolved, he left a big impact on religion, science and everyday life.

Answer 3

He was clearly a man of knowledge and taste... and a well respected contributor to this category. He will be missed. In his honor I would suggest: Beethoven: Egmont Overture.