Tennyson

British biographer Thorn ( Pen Pals ) makes an important contribution to Tennyson studies in this biography of the famed Victorian poet (1809-1892). Thorn dismisses prior studies which claim that Tennyson's best work was written in his youth, peaking with ``In Memoriam'' (1850), an elegy commemorating the untimely death of his closest friend, Arthur Hallam. Instead, he offers an informed critical analysis of the later poetry, including ``Maud'' (1855) and ``Idylls of the King'' (1859) which, Thorn posits, reflect the more varied aspects of Tennyson's poetic gift. The author relies on private letters and diaries to examine the complexities of Tennyson's mid-life marriage to Emily Sellwood, as well as his possible romantic attachment to Julia Cameron. Tennyson resorted to opium use throughout his adult years, and as an older man carried on several flirtations with younger women. Thorn successfully illuminates his eccentric and engaging character within the context of his age, more closely tying the man and his works than does Peter Levi in Tennyson (Nonfiction Forecasts, Nov. 8). Photos. (Jan.)