American Toby Jug Museum 

Tennyson character jug produced by Lancaster and Sandland of Hanley, England, circa 1950. Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) was an English poet and the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his first pieces, "Timbuktu". He published his first solo collection of poems in 1830, including "Claribel" and "Mariana", which remain some of his most celebrated poems. Although described by some critics as overly sentimental, his verse soon proved popular and brought Tennyson to the attention of well-known writers of the day. Tennyson's early poetry, with its medievalism and powerful visual imagery, was a major influence on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Tennyson also excelled at short lyrics. Much of his verse was based on classical mythological themes. Tennyson also wrote some notable blank verse including Idylls of the King, "Ulysses", and "Tithonus". During his career, Tennyson attempted drama, but his plays enjoyed little success.