In Memoriam and Tennyson's Rage for Order and Coherence

Abstract

Division is one of the essential characteristics of Tennysons poetry and poetics, and it is manifest in all aspects of his work: structure, character, theme, ideology, and style. Its main importance, however, lies ultimately in its signifying function that produces a plurality of textual interpretations. Division calls for endless interpretations and reinterpretations, and eventually produces a kind of textual metaphor, a critical open space emphasized by post-structuralists and deconstructionists. This particular aspect of division has been either misunderstood or ignored. Tennysons division was often treated as a sign of his artistic failure as well as a weakness of his moral character. The division and disunity notably manifest in the text of In Memoriam is certainly not an exception. However, it can be argued that Tennysons division, approached from a post-structural perspective, can be seen as the poets strategy for securing his negative capability, the capacity to be in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason. Thus it deters moral didacticism characteristic of conservative Victorian society, producing poetry with more sophisticated and profounder artistic significance. Despite the critical developments over the decades, the notion of Tennyson s division still appears problematic. While our reception of Tennysons division has overcome the old prejudice, it still lacks a clear conceptualization. Tennysons division needs to be seen as the essence of his poetics or creative principle, and its main objective is to produce the openness of textual interpretation.