Camelot in the Nineteenth Century ― Arthurian Characters in the Poems of Tennyson, Arnold, Morris, and Swinburne

For centuries, accounts of King Arthur and his court have fascinated historians, scholars, poets, and readers. Each age has added material to reflect its own cultural attitudes, but no era has supplemented the earlier versions more than the poets of the Medieval Revival of nineteenth-century England. This book examines how Arthurian legend was read and rewritten during that period by four enduring writers: Alfred Lord Tennyson, Matthew Arnold, William Morris, and Algernon Charles Swinburne. While other works have looked at Arthurian legend in light of nineteenth-century social conditions, this volume focuses on how these poets approached love and death in their works, and how the legend of Arthur shaped their vision.

LAURA COONER LAMBDIN teaches Professional Communications in the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business.ROBERT THOMAS LAMBDIN is Assistant Professor of English in the Transitional Year in the College of Applied Sciences Program at the University of South Carolina.