The Princess: A Medley by Alfred Tennyson (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

The Princess: A Medley

by Alfred Tennyson

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

The Princess: A Medley

Prologue

Sir Walter Vivian all a summer's dayGave his broad lawns until the set of sunUp to the people: thither flocked at noonHis tenants, wife and child, and thither halfThe neighbouring borough with their InstituteOf which he was the patron. I was thereFrom college, visiting the son,—the sonA Walter too,—with others of our set,Five others: we were seven at Vivian-place.

And me that morning Walter showed the house,Greek, set with busts: from vases in the hallFlowers of all heavens, and lovelier than their names,Grew side by side; and on the pavement layCarved stones of the Abbey-ruin in the park,Huge Ammonites, and the first bones of Time;And on the tables every clime and ageJumbled together; celts and calumets,Claymore and snowshoe, toys in lava, fansOf sandal, amber, ancient rosaries,Laborious orient ivory sphere in sphere,The cursed Malayan crease, and splendid booksFrom those who once had lived beyond the sea.

This on a day when Lilia, the fair,Sir Walter's daughter, played about the place,And mocked at all the shows, a girl of twelve,And younger still by twenty years her brother,Whose careless chatter led to talk of war,Of all that bears on life, and love, and death;And so by chance we shaped a tale, and thusIt grew: for Lilia cried 'Why not a taleOf some old time, a legend or a layOf some great deed, and love that led to it?'And Walter said, 'Let’s make a medley then,A kind of sport, where each shall take a part,And each shall tell a portion of the tale,And I will string the whole.' So we began.

Part I

A prince I was, blue-eyed, and fair in face,Of temper amorous, as the first of May,With lengths of yellow ringlet, like a girl,For on my cradle shone the Northern star.My father was the King: my mother’s eyesLooked on the sea, and sighed for liberty.There lived an ancient legend in our house;Some said it was a curse, some said a charm,That when a daughter of our line was born,She should be stolen by a man, and heShould win her love, or else the land should fall.

Now in my time a princess came to birth,The king’s own niece, the daughter of his brother,And at her birth the legend stirred again.Her name was Ida: high in halls she grew,And scholars taught her, but she scorned their lore,And vowed to make a college for her sex,Where women might be wise, and none should wed.Her father laughed, and swore she’d change her mind;But she was firm, and fled to wilderness,And there she built her college, by a lake,And round it grew a city of her own.

I heard of this, and loved her for her will,And swore to win her, though she barred the world.My father said, ‘Go, seek her, tame her pride.’And so I went, with Cyril, and with Florian,Two friends: we three were banded for the quest.We reached the lake, and saw the towers rise,White in the sun, and heard the hum of life.But how to enter? Women only there,And men forbidden. So we dressed as girls,With kirtles, hoods, and veils, and passed the gate.

Within, we saw the courts, the halls, the streams,The gardens breathing flowers, the lecture-roomsWhere maidens taught, and maidens learned, and allWas order, beauty, peace. But Ida’s eyeWas keen: she marked us, doubted, called us forth.‘Who are you?’ quoth she, stern as any queen.We told Sonya answered soft, ‘We come as friends,To see your college, and to learn your ways.’She smiled, half-scorn, half-pity, and replied,‘If friends, then welcome; but if men, beware.’

Song I

As thro’ the land at eve we went,And pluck’d the ripen’d ears,We fell out, my wife and I,O we fell out I know not why,And kiss’d again with tears.

Part II

She led us to her hall, and there we stood,Accused as men. My Cyril laughed, and sworeWe meant no harm; but she, with blazing eyes,Proclaimed our doom: ‘Ye shall be slaves,’ she said,‘And serve my maids, till I decree your fate.’We bowed, and served: I swept the floors, and fetchedThe water from the spring; and Florian sangTo charm the girls; and Cyril told them tales.But all the while we watched for chance to flee.

The days went by; we learned their arts, their lore,Their science, music, song. I loved her more,The princess, for her mind was like a star,Clear, bright, unswerving. Yet her law was hard:No man might love, no man might touch her hand.And yet I loved, and in my heart I sworeTo win her, though the world should break in twain.

At last a feast was held; we three were there,Still in disguise. The princess sang a song,And all the maids were hushed, and I was lostIn dreams of her. But Cyril, light of heart,Drank deep, and in his cups betrayed our sex.A cry went up; the maids with fury seized us,And bound us fast, and led us to her throne.

Song II

Sweet is the balmy breath of morn,That ripples o’er the plain,And sweet the dews that gem the thorn,But sweeter far is love’s soft pain.

Part III

She judged us there: ‘Ye men, who dared to come,And break my law, what shall I do with ye?’I spoke: ‘O Princess, we are men indeed,But love has brought us, love and naught beside.I love thee, Ida, as the stars the sky.’She softened then, but said, ‘Ye must abideThe penalty: ye shall be taught our ways,And learn our truth, before ye leave these walls.’

So we were schooled: we read their books of light,Their stars, their plants, their laws of life and love.And I, who loved her, saw her mind unfold,A mind that burned to make her sex the peerOf men in all but force. Yet still she heldHer vow: no man should wed, no man should win.

But love is strong: I spoke to her alone,By starlight, in the garden, and I toldMy heart’s full tale. She listened, but her eyesWere cold as winter lakes. ‘Go back,’ she said,‘Thy love is naught to me; my heart is vowedTo higher things.’ And so she turned away.

Song III

Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,Tears from the depth of some divine despairRise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,In looking on the happy autumn-fields,And thinking of the days that are no more.

Part IV

The months went by; we lived within her court,And learned her will, her wisdom, and her dream.But war was brewing: Ida’s father, old,And mine, who sought me, joined to crush her state.They came with armies, camped beside the lake,And sent a herald, bidding her submit.She laughed, and armed her maids, and made them bold,And bade them fight for freedom and for truth.

The battle came: we three, though men, were torn;We loved the maids, but loved our homes as well.I fought for Ida, Cyril for his king,And Florian wavered, till he chose our side.The clash was fierce; the fields were red with blood;And Ida’s maids, though brave, were overborne.She stood upon the ramparts, and she cried,‘Fight on, my sisters, for the truth is ours!’

Song IV

The splendour falls on castle wallsAnd snowy summits old in story:The long light shakes across the lakes,And the wild cataract leaps in glory.

Part V

The war was lost; the college gates were stormed.We three were taken, bound, and led away,But Ida fled, and hid within the woods.I broke my bonds, and sought her, for my heartWas hers, though she refused it. There I foundHer, wounded, weary, but unbowed in soul.I knelt, and said, ‘O Ida, let me stay,And love thee still, though all the world should fall.’

She looked on me, and something in her eyesWas softer now. ‘Thou hast been true,’ she said,‘But I am vowed to this, my higher call.Yet stay, and we shall build anew, together.’And so we stayed, and worked to mend her dream,To teach, to learn, to lift her sex with ours.

Song V

Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font:The fire-fly wakens: waken thou with me.

Part VI

The college rose again; we built it fair,With halls of light, and fields where all might learn.And Ida changed: she saw the world was wide,And love could live beside her loftier aim.She took my hand, and said, ‘We two shall wed,Not as the world would have it, but as equals,To work as one for truth, and light, and love.’

And so we wed, and Cyril took a maid,And Florian too; and all the land was glad.The old kings smiled, and peace was made again.The college grew, a beacon to the world,Where women learned, and men were taught to see.

Song VI

Home they brought her warrior dead:She nor swooned, nor uttered cry:All her maidens, watching, said,‘She must weep or she will die.’

Part VII

Years passed; the college thrived, and Ida’s nameWas sung in halls where wisdom found its home.Our children grew, and learned, and loved, and played,And all the world was changed, because we dared.I look upon her now, my Ida, stillThe star I followed, brighter than the sun.

And so our tale is told, a medley true,Of love, and strife, and dreams that would not die.We built a world where none need bow or break,And hand in hand we walk beneath the stars.

Conclusion

The tale was done; we sat beside the lake,And Lilia clapped her hands, and cried, ‘Well told!’But Walter said, ‘This medley weaves too much;The truth is simpler far.’ And so we laughed,And broke the spell, and wandered through the park.The stars came out, the night was soft and still,And all the world seemed joined in love’s great will.

 

Summary

Alfred Tennyson’s The Princess: A Medley (1847) is a long narrative poem divided into a prologue, seven cantos, and a conclusion. Its story is framed within a gathering of friends at Sir Walter Vivian’s country house, where they decide to pass the time by enacting a tale. The poem itself becomes that tale, blending romance, comedy, and serious reflection on the theme of women’s education and the relationship between men and women.

The story proper begins with the betrothal of a young prince to Princess Ida, an arrangement made when they were still children. As they grow, Ida develops a strong sense of independence and rejects the traditional roles expected of her sex. She withdraws from courtly life and founds a women’s university, where she reigns as head. Her ideal is to elevate women’s minds, cultivate learning, and create a society where women are not dependent on men. She goes so far as to declare her intention never to marry, believing such bonds reduce women to subordination.

The Prince, however, remains loyal to the promise of marriage and sets out to win her heart. He is accompanied by two friends, Cyril and Florian. Florian has a sister, Lady Psyche, who is already a teacher within Ida’s institution. Through her help, the three young men disguise themselves in women’s robes and enter the university, pretending to be female students.

Inside, they witness the life of the college. The women live in a disciplined academic environment, devoted to study, teaching, and freedom from male interference. Princess Ida herself is portrayed as noble, beautiful, and intellectually commanding, yet she has a cold resolve to preserve the purity of her mission. She lectures passionately on the need for women to rise above men’s tyranny and asserts that they must not live for men’s sake but for their own dignity and future.

As the days pass, the Prince finds himself more deeply captivated not only by Ida’s beauty but also by her earnestness. He longs not to defeat her ideals but to harmonize them with his own love. However, the men’s disguise is eventually discovered. At first there is confusion and outrage at the deception, but the Prince declares his true identity and his purpose. He speaks respectfully, urging that men and women should not be enemies or rivals, but partners who share equal honor. His words touch some, but Ida remains firm, unwilling to surrender.

Meanwhile, the outside world intrudes. News comes that the Princess’s father, King Gama, has been humiliated because of her defiance of the marriage pact, and war threatens between the two royal houses. A conflict arises: the Prince, though in love, must also defend his honor and kingdom. He and Ida’s brothers meet in combat. The Prince fights valiantly, but in the struggle he is wounded and collapses.

This becomes the turning point. Ida, faced with the Prince’s suffering, begins to soften. She tends to him in his weakness, and her heart gradually opens. The sight of his loyalty, courage, and endurance makes her reconsider her rigid stance. She sees that love need not be bondage but can be a partnership of equals. Slowly, her hostility fades into tenderness.

The poem then moves toward reconciliation. Ida does not abandon her dream of women’s education, but she no longer views men as adversaries. Instead, she recognizes that true progress requires harmony, not estrangement. The Prince, likewise, respects her strength and independence, not wishing to dominate but to walk beside her. In the end, love prevails, and the union between the two symbolizes a hopeful vision of balance between male and female, intellect and affection, freedom and devotion.

Tennyson frames the tale with lighter interludes—songs and lyrical passages that soften the high seriousness of the central theme. These songs include some of his most famous lyrics, such as “Tears, Idle Tears” and “The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls.” They serve as pauses of beauty and music between the narrative’s dramatic episodes. The subtitle “A Medley” reflects this mixture of romance, satire, lyrical interludes, and serious moral purpose.

The conclusion returns to the frame story at Sir Walter Vivian’s house. The tale has been told, and the young people who have played its parts emerge once more into the summer evening. The narrator suggests that the story is not merely fanciful but bears meaning for the age: the question of women’s place in society, their education, and the proper relation between the sexes was a pressing issue in Victorian England.

Thus, in its flowing sequence of scenes—the founding of a women’s college, the disguises and discoveries, the lecture halls and battles, the tenderness of care and final reconciliation—The Princess: A Medley offers both a romantic narrative and a social vision. It portrays the tension between independence and union, between pride and love, and ultimately affirms the possibility of partnership. Ida is not defeated in the sense of being conquered; rather, she is transformed through compassion, and the Prince too is humbled. Together they embody the poem’s hope that the future may bring a new harmony between men and women, one that preserves dignity and embraces affection.

 

Paraphrase

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s The Princess: A Medley (1847) is a long poem with a prologue, seven main sections, and a conclusion. It is framed as a story told by a group of friends gathered at Sir Walter Vivian’s country estate. To entertain themselves, they decide to tell a tale, and that tale unfolds as the main poem. The work mixes romance, humor, lyrical songs, and serious ideas about the education and role of women in society.

The main story begins with a prince who has been promised in childhood to Princess Ida. When they are grown, however, Ida refuses the marriage. Instead of living the life of a traditional princess, she sets up a university for women, determined to raise their minds, give them independence, and free them from depending on men. Ida vows never to marry, believing that marriage usually makes women second to men.

The Prince, loyal to his childhood promise, still wants to win her love. He sets out to find her, taking with him two friends, Cyril and Florian. Florian’s sister, Lady Psyche, is already a teacher in Ida’s new college. With her help, the three young men disguise themselves as women and sneak into the university.

Inside, they see how the women live and learn together. The atmosphere is serious, academic, and orderly. Princess Ida is shown as strong, noble, and beautiful, yet very firm in her belief that women should be free of male control. She gives powerful speeches about women’s equality and insists they must not live for men but for themselves and for the future.

The disguised men try to fit in, but their secret cannot last. When they are discovered, there is shock and anger. The Prince then reveals who he truly is and why he came. He speaks honestly about love and respect, saying that men and women should not compete or be enemies, but should work together as partners. Some of Ida’s followers are moved, but Ida herself holds fast to her vow.

Tension rises when news comes that Ida’s father, King Gama, has been dishonored by her rejection of the marriage, and war now threatens between Ida’s family and the Prince’s family. A fight breaks out between the Prince and Ida’s brothers. Though brave, the Prince is badly wounded in the battle and falls unconscious.

This moment changes everything. Ida, who had been so unbending, cannot ignore the Prince’s suffering. She tends to him as he lies injured, and her hard feelings slowly soften. His courage and loyalty touch her heart, and she begins to see that love does not have to mean submission. Gradually she opens up to the idea that men and women can walk side by side as equals in both affection and honor.

The story moves toward peace and reconciliation. Ida does not give up her dream of educating women, but she now understands that progress is not found in rejecting men completely. Instead, men and women must cooperate. The Prince, too, shows humility, making it clear that he does not want to rule her but to share life with her. Their union at the end suggests a hopeful balance between strength and tenderness, freedom and devotion, intellect and love.

Throughout the narrative, Tennyson adds lyrical songs that serve as pauses between the dramatic scenes. Some of these, such as “Tears, Idle Tears” and “The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls,” became very famous in their own right. These songs bring beauty and reflection into the middle of the action, reminding the reader of life’s emotional depth. The subtitle “A Medley” fits the poem because it combines so many different tones—romance, comedy, lyrical interludes, and serious thought.

At the end, the frame story returns: the group of friends who told the tale sit once again at Sir Walter’s home. The story has ended, but its themes linger. It is more than just a fairy tale—it reflects the real social question of Tennyson’s day: what place should women have in society, and how can men and women live together in equality and harmony?

In the end, The Princess: A Medley tells a tale of disguise, discovery, conflict, and healing. Princess Ida begins as proud and unyielding, but compassion and love transform her. The Prince shows devotion and courage, but also humility. Together, they represent a vision of the future where women’s dignity and men’s love work together. Instead of rivalry, there is balance; instead of separation, there is partnership.

 

Analysis in Detail

Alfred Tennyson’s The Princess: A Medley (1847) stands as one of his most ambitious works, combining a romantic narrative with pressing social questions of the Victorian era. On the surface, it tells the story of a prince who pursues the strong-willed Princess Ida, who has founded a women’s university and sworn never to marry. Beneath this storyline, however, the poem engages with themes of gender roles, education, love, and the struggle to balance idealism with reality. The word “medley” in its title is significant: the poem does not rest within a single mood or genre, but instead weaves together satire, romance, lyric interludes, and serious social reflection.

One of the central themes of the poem is women’s education and the place of women in society. In Ida, Tennyson creates a character who is both admirable and flawed. She is noble, intelligent, and visionary, determined to carve out a space where women can grow without being limited by traditional expectations. Her university is symbolic of an alternative future in which women can pursue intellectual independence. Yet Ida is also portrayed as rigid, sometimes extreme in her refusal of compromise. She is more interested in separation from men than in cooperation, which makes her seem impractical at times. Through her, Tennyson dramatizes the Victorian debate about whether women should seek freedom apart from men, or whether equality could only be realized within a shared society.

Opposite Ida stands the Prince, whose role embodies loyalty, love, and a belief in partnership. He does not come to subdue Ida by force but rather to win her through devotion. His decision to disguise himself and enter her world shows both daring and respect, for he wishes to understand her ideals rather than simply impose his own. When exposed, he argues not for male superiority but for companionship, saying that men and women should walk together as equals. His persistence and eventual suffering in battle demonstrate the sincerity of his love. In him, Tennyson gives voice to the possibility of harmony: the male need not dominate, nor the female surrender; instead, they can complement each other.

The conflict between pride and compassion drives the emotional tension of the poem. Ida’s pride keeps her firm in her vow never to marry, even when faced with the Prince’s honorable character. She believes that love will inevitably enslave her, and so she resists. Yet when she sees the Prince wounded, her pride yields to compassion. Tennyson suggests that genuine love is transformative: it does not destroy independence, but softens rigidity and teaches humility. Likewise, the Prince is humbled through suffering, learning that devotion sometimes requires sacrifice rather than conquest. The resolution of the story, therefore, does not show Ida defeated but rather balanced, moving from hostility toward a recognition that equality and love can exist side by side.

The structure of the poem also contributes to its effect. The framing narrative at Sir Walter Vivian’s estate sets the story within a playful, almost theatrical context. It reminds the reader that the tale is both imaginative entertainment and a vehicle for deeper ideas. Between the narrative cantos, Tennyson inserts lyrical songs such as “Tears, Idle Tears” and “The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls.” These interludes serve as emotional breathing spaces, moments of pure beauty that contrast with the satirical or argumentative parts of the story. The mixture of romance, satire, and lyric underscores the “medley” quality, reflecting the complexity of the subject itself.

Another significant aspect of the poem is its treatment of satire and idealism. Tennyson pokes gentle fun at Ida’s university and the exaggerated separation of the sexes, which at times seems impractical or artificial. Yet he does not simply mock; he also treats Ida’s vision with respect. Her desire for dignity and learning is not ridiculed but rather shown as noble. What Tennyson critiques is the idea of absolute division between men and women. He emphasizes instead the necessity of reconciliation. In this way, the poem balances satire with earnestness, acknowledging both the seriousness of the women’s rights movement and the dangers of extremism.

From a broader perspective, The Princess reflects the Victorian struggle with social change. The mid-nineteenth century was a time when debates about women’s education, rights, and roles were becoming louder. Tennyson’s poem does not offer a radical feminist statement, but neither does it dismiss women’s aspirations. Instead, it seeks a middle ground: women should be educated, respected, and dignified, but harmony with men should remain the ultimate goal. The poem thus reveals both the limitations of Tennyson’s age and its aspirations for progress.

In the conclusion, the reconciliation between Ida and the Prince is symbolic. It does not simply mean the fulfillment of a marriage pact; it represents the possibility of a future where men and women are true partners. Tennyson envisions love as a civilizing force, one that bridges division and unites intellect with affection. The final mood of the poem is hopeful, suggesting that through patience, compassion, and mutual respect, the “war of the sexes” may be resolved.

In the end, The Princess: A Medley is both playful and profound. It tells a story of disguise, conflict, and reconciliation, but beneath the narrative lies a serious meditation on education, gender, and love. Ida represents independence, the Prince represents devotion, and their union represents balance. The poem captures the Victorian attempt to reconcile tradition with progress, satire with seriousness, and individual freedom with shared harmony. As its title implies, it is indeed a medley—a rich blend of romance, humor, lyricism, and social thought, woven into a tale that remains both engaging and significant.