LITERATURE
Ballads of Britannica: Medieval Masculinity in Tennyson’s Poetry
What did Medieval Britain consider an “ideal man”?
“There’s no glory like those who save their country.” — Alfred Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson’s ‘The Coming of Arthur’ is an Epic poem from his collection, Idylls of the King (1859). It retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love for Guinevere, and the rise and fall of his kingdom.
As a poem written during the Victorian era, ‘The Coming of Arthur’ explores Medieval male identities that often mirror many Victorian male identities. Be it a father, a son, a knight, or a king, Tennyson focuses on dominant — and often stereotypical — images of masculinity in both Medieval and Victorian Britain. For instance, the men presented in the poem all play stereotypical gender roles such as a “warrior” (L257), a “king” (L249), or a “knight” (L262).
Elliot Gilbert remarks on how Arthur is seen as the ultimate “father figure” of Britain; he symbolizes Victorian Britain’s need for the safety and security that could only be provided by a male authority figure. In this way, Tennyson sticks to Victorian ideals of what men should aspire to be like.
