Question

"Strong Son of God, immortal Love..." Thus begins:

• A. The Windhover
• B. In Memoriam
• C. Thyrsis
• D. Lycidas

Answer 1

Answer:

B. In Memoriam

Background of the Poem

• The line "Strong Son of God, immortal Love..." is the opening line of the famous elegy In Memoriam A.H.H. by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
• This poem is a profound meditation on grief, loss, faith, and the search for meaning in the face of death.
• It was written over 17 years, from 1833 to 1850, and is considered one of Tennyson's masterpieces.

The Dedication and Subject

Subject of the Poem

• The poem is a memorial to Tennyson's dearest friend, Arthur Henry Hallam, who died suddenly in 1833 at the age of 22.
• Tennyson and Hallam were close friends from their Cambridge days, and Hallam was engaged to Tennyson's sister, Cecilia.

Structure and Style

• 'In Memoriam' is composed of 131 short lyrics, each with a specific stanzaic form called the 'In Memoriam stanza' (quatrains with an ABAB rhyme scheme).
• The poem explores a wide range of emotions, from deep sorrow and doubt to eventual acceptance and spiritual hope.
• The opening lines set a tone of spiritual questioning and a yearning for divine understanding in the context of human suffering.

Significance and Reception

• 'In Memoriam' is celebrated for its psychological realism and its exploration of Victorian anxieties regarding science, faith, and immortality.
• It is considered one of the most important elegies in English literature and a significant work of 19th-century poetry.
• The poem's opening lines are widely recognized and often quoted, establishing the poem's serious and contemplative nature.