Alfred, Lord Tennyson

On either side the river lie

Long fields of barley and of rye,

That clothe the word and meet the sky;

And thro' the field the road runs by

To many-tower'd Camelot.

--From The Lady of Shalott

Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poems found inspiration in sources as diverse as Greek myths (Tithonius), Arthurian legends (Idylls of the King), Shakespeare (Mariana), and contemporary history (Charge of the Light Brigade). But his most famous and heartfelt work, In Memoriam, came from personal tragedy: the death of his close friend, Arthur Hallam. All these, and many other of his finest poems, are included in this superb collection.