Tennyson had a life-long interest in the legend of King Arthur & after the huge success of his poem Morte d Arthur" he built on the theme with this series of twelve poems written in two periods of intense creativity over nearly twenty years. " Idylls of the King" traces the story of Arthurs rule from his first encounter with Guinevere & the quest for the Holy Grail to the adultery of his Queen with Launcelot & the Kings death in a final battle that spells the ruin of his kingdom. Told with lyrical & dreamlike eloquence Tennysons depiction of the Round Table reflects a longing for a past age of valour & chivalry. & in his depiction of King Arthur he created a hero imbued with the values of the Victorian age
- one who embodies the highest ideals of manhood & kingship."