Honest doubt about religion characterises the whole of In Memoriam Discuss
Zara Ramsay 1631 words Selected Texts ‘In Memoriam’ has enjoyed such extensive success as a result of its widespread accessibility to such a diverse readership. ... The intense feelings of love imparted through the words, and the resultant sense of despair are possibly the most striking aspects, but the clever comparisons of the poet’s mood with nature, and the ability to observe the deliberate change of these moods and attitudes are also noteworthy features of ‘In Memoriam’. The poet’s view of Christianity is not wholly consistent, for although at times he appears to have little faith in his religion, there are also large sections of the poetry where his faith seems to be his sole comfort. To say, therefore, that ‘honest doubt’ characterises the poems would be placing too great an emphasis on Tennyson’s few moments of uncertainty. It is impossible to confine the meanings of ‘In Memoriam’ to any singular message, and as a result, it is also impracticable to extricate only one vital characteristic from it. ... The fact that ‘In Memoriam’ took so long to write (Hallam died in 1833, and the set of poems was not published until 1850) proves that his long lasting sorrow to be unquestionable. Some critics argue that it is this genuineness which has made ‘In Memoriam’ so popular, and that Tennyson’s unyielding grief provokes a certain admiration and respect: ‘it is a sympathy of a great heart that suffered as lesser hearts could never suffer, which has endeared ‘In Memoriam’ to thousands’.2 However, although the poet’s pain cannot be doubted, the way in which he talks about it, and his attitude towards it, varies quite dramatically from poem to poem. ... It has been argued by some critics, such as Luce, that this contradictory aspect of ‘In Memoriam’ is its major fault, and that it is the principle negative characteristic of the poetry. The aspect of ‘In Memoriam’ which appeals to the empathic natures of other mourners is the feeling of meaninglessness that the words evoke.