Remarks by Charles Tennyson Turner

“Thank you for cheering my heart with the worthy man’s good opinion.”

Showing how deeply he valued encouragement for his early sonnets · Letter to James Spedding, 1830

“Again, he was suddenly seized with giddiness on the verge of a precipice, and only preserved by the presence of mind of a person near him.”

Describing how narrowly a moment of weakness became a fatal fall · Letter to John Frere, 27 July 1830

Death
Nature

“Again, at the Carnival in Rome, a man was stilettoed in his arms, drawing first suspicion and then violence on his person: the excess of which he prevented by exclaiming that he was an Englishman and had not done the deed.”

Relating another dramatic danger survived by his travelling father · Letter to John Frere, 27 July 1830

Death
Memory

“On one occasion, proceeding along in a small carriage over the mountains, he was hurled down a precipice and stunned, but saved himself from certain death by convulsively grasping a pine that grew out of a ledge.”

Recounting his father’s extraordinary escape from a fatal mountain accident · Letter to John Frere, 27 July 1830

Death
Nature

“From Hallam I heard just now: he complains rather of the heat, and says Alfred is delighted with his journey, though regretting the impermanence of his impressions in the hurry of travel.”

Recording Alfred’s frustration at how quickly travel impressions could fade · Letter to John Frere, 27 July 1830

Memory
Time

“He suffered little, and after death his countenance, which was strikingly lofty and peaceful, was I trust an image of the condition of his soul, which on earth was daily racked by bitter fancies, and tossed about by strong troubles.”

Finding a consoling image of inward peace in the face of the dead · Letter to John Frere, 23 March 1831

“John, a melancholy change has taken place in our house since I saw you last.”

Opening the announcement of his father’s death with restrained sorrow · Letter to John Frere, 23 March 1831

“I am going to keep pigeons, would they were carrier pigeons! then would I trouble them under their wings with missives of congratulation to arrive more swiftly than the railroad.”

Playfully imagining carrier pigeons speeding his congratulations · Letter on Alfred Tennyson’s marriage, 1850

“Good wishes in crowds from me I despatch on dove’s wing to you.”

Sending affectionate congratulations in a characteristically fanciful image · Letter on Alfred Tennyson’s marriage, 1850

“I hope however it has done a brace of amiable and remarkable people some genuine good, whirligig as it is—this time at least.”

Greeting a marriage with affection while retaining his amused view of life’s instability · Letter on Alfred Tennyson’s marriage, 1850

“Oh what a queer world it is!”

A compact expression of amused wonder at the turns of life · Letter on Alfred Tennyson’s marriage, 1850

Joy
Time

“Indeed, I prefer this Sonnet to the rest.”

Giving a direct and unembellished judgement on a group of sonnets sent to him · Letter to D. R. Williamson, 5 August 1872

Art
Poetry

“His ‘Lark’ contains some sweet imaginative touches.”

Finding beauty in a poem despite broader reservations about its author · Letter to D. R. Williamson, 5 August 1872

“I do not accuse Buchanan of this, but, whether he himself is aware of it or not, it (his very sweet little poem) is somewhat too suggestive.”

Qualifying a literary criticism with care rather than condemning the poet outright · Letter to D. R. Williamson, 5 August 1872

Art
Poetry

“God has instilled into the human heart (at least since Sin entered into the world) a modest reticence about certain things without which poetry may be to a certain extent lovely, but Christianity is never prurient.”

Linking his ideas of poetic restraint with his Christian convictions · Letter to D. R. Williamson, 5 August 1872

“From the little I have seen of Buchanan, I do not doubt his genius & I hope he keeps clear of an approach to the ‘fleshly school’ which he named so well & so justly condemned.”

Recognising poetic genius while expressing his own moral reservations · Letter to D. R. Williamson, 5 August 1872

“Tyrie was a kindly poetical soul, no doubt, & your extract from his letter is simple & graceful.”

Responding warmly to another writer’s character and style · Letter to D. R. Williamson, 5 August 1872

“I hope you will never again rank yourself among the ‘snubables’ as you say you are ‘sure of our geniality.”

Reassuring a younger friend that criticism did not diminish personal warmth · Letter to Hardwicke Rawnsley, 1876

“In spite of my apparent unsociability I have not forgot Halton, nor the older home at Spilsby.”

Acknowledging the lasting hold of places associated with youth and friendship · Letter to Hardwicke Rawnsley, 1872

“I often revert to my young days when your grandfather was my father’s friend.”

Connecting a younger friendship with memories of an earlier generation · Letter to Hardwicke Rawnsley, 1872

“I feel confident that you have a good and sufficient supply of fancy and imagination.”

Offering measured encouragement to a younger writer · Letter to Hardwicke Rawnsley, 1872

“You cannot well say a thing ‘sounds’ the ocean, except a plummet; or ‘sounds the harp,’ except the fingers of a musician.”

Using wit to distinguish vivid metaphor from confusing usage · Letter to Hardwicke Rawnsley, 1872

“Of course you can always say such a thing ‘sounds shivery’, but I question the propriety of omitting the word ‘like’.”

Balancing imaginative language against grammatical precision · Letter to Hardwicke Rawnsley, 1872

Art
Poetry

“However, there is an ellipsis in one line which puzzled me till the second reading.”

Showing his careful attention to clarity even while encouraging a younger poet · Letter to Hardwicke Rawnsley, 1872

Art
Poetry

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