Thirty selections of verse by Alfred, Lord Tennyson and stunning, evocative color illustrations take you from ordinary life to the romantic brooding worlds of mythical and mystical adventure. The rich, rhythmic language and lush descriptions of natural scenes that made this masterful poet the lord of Victorian poetry are even more captivating and remarkable today.

From the back cover

Be swept away by the vibrant imagery of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, a master of description and the sound effects of poetry. Page after page of stunning illustrations transport you to the fantastic places conjured by his vivid and powerful words.

Whether he is portraying a world like his own charming country village in Victorian England, or as far removed as a mermaid's lair, Tennyson's fiery verse will capture your heart and haunt your mind. Join him on his journeys to the kingdom of Camelot, home to Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the mysterious "Lady of Shalott." Travel back in time with prehistoric beasts or underwater with the mythical Kraken, who lies in wait "Below the thunders of the upper deep; /Far, far beneath the abysmal sea" in "ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep."

Tennyson tackled serious issues in a way that makes you understand many different emotions. Feel his heart-wrenching grief over the loss of his best friend in "Break, Break, Break" or his contemplation of his own death in the moving lines of "Crossing the Bar."

Tennyson also spoke out about world events. Hear his cry against the senseless loss of life in his wartime masterpiece, "The Charge of the Light Brigade." The famous, forceful words, like so much of his work, beg to read aloud:

Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Full of vibrant atmosphere and intense passion, Tennyson's poems never fail to fascinate, even mesmerize his readers.

From the dust jacket