149 Strong Son of God, Immortal Love
Alfred Tennyson, 1809-92
From the prologue of Tennyson’s great poem, “In Memoriam,” 1850, containing eleven stanzas; these are 1, 4, 5, and 7, unaltered.
The story of “In Memoriam” is familiar. At Cambridge University, Tennyson and Arthur Hallam became intimate friends. Hallam became engaged to Tennyson’s sister, and, after graduating from the University, took a trip to the Continent. At Vienna, he became sick and died, which prompted Tennyson to write the following brief but beautiful words:
“In Vienna’s fatal walls,
God’s finger touched him, and he slept.”
In 1850, seventeen years after Hallam’s death, Tennyson published “In Memoriam,” a memorial to Hallam, but also to himself as well. Among the individual verses of the poem which have become immortal are the familiar lines beginning, “Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky.” (See 379).
Alfred Tennyson was the son of Rev. George C. Tennyson. He was educated at Cambridge and wrote poetry while an undergraduate. Upon the death of Wordsworth in 1850, Tennyson was appointed Poet Laureate. He is regarded as one of England’s greatest poets. He was not a hymn writer, yet several of his poems are used as hymns. Tennyson died October 6, 1892, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
MUSIC. ST. CRISPIN was composed for the hymn “Just as I am, without one plea.” The tune was used at the funeral of the composer.
For comments on the composer, George Elvey, see Hymn 118.