In Alfred Lord Tennyson, W. David Shaw, an eminent scholar of Victorian poetry and master Tennyson critic, reexamines Tennyson's poetry, plays, and dramatic monologues in our own "age of theory." In this superbly written monograph, organized in chapters devoted to different genres, Shaw engages contemporary theory while giving classically grounded close readings of Tennyson's texts. The book also includes an extensive bibliographical essay that traces recent developments in Tennyson scholarship and criticism.