The Canon Library
Cover of Idylls of the King

Victorian · Poetry

Idylls of the King

by Alfred Tennyson. A significant canonical or canon-expanding work by Alfred Tennyson, centered on loss, faith, national myth; added in the full 1,200-work edition for its sustained influence, representative importance, or role in revising the traditional canon.

Date
1859–1885
Origin
England
Era
Victorian
Genre
Poetry
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
Medium
Collection
The Western Canon

Subjects and themes

Why it matters

A significant canonical or canon-expanding work by Alfred Tennyson, centered on loss, faith, national myth; added in the full 1,200-work edition for its sustained influence, representative importance, or role in revising the traditional canon.

This work is included in the collection on the basis of full-canon expansion: traditional, modern, revised, and genre canons. Its cataloged influence level is 4 out of 5.