POET LAUREATE throughout the second part of Queen
Victoria's reign, Tennyson took his position seriously, and was most punctilious in composing celebratory pieces on events of national importance, such as tho Burial of tho Duke of Wellington and the Charge of the Light Brigade. These official odes are, however, by far the least interesting part of his work; his best poetry occurs in ' In Momoriam' and in such incidental lyiies to some of his longer poems as ' Blow, bugle, blow,' which will be amongst the pieces read this afternoon.