Tennyson's genius was early trained by the skeptical philosophy
of the age. All his poetry shows this. The `In Memoriam' may almost
be said to be the poem of nineteenth century scepticism.
To this scepticism he has applied an "all-subtilizing intellect",
and has translated it into the poetical "concrete", with a rare
artistic skill, and more than this, has subjected it to
the spiritual instincts and apperceptions of the feminine side
of his nature and made it vassal to a larger faith. But it is,
after all, not the vital faith which Browning's poetry exhibits,
a faith PROCEEDING DIRECTLY FROM THE SPIRITUAL MAN. It is rather
the faith expressed by Browning's Bishop Blougram: --

"With me faith means perpetual unbelief
Kept quiet like the snake 'neath Michael's foot,
Who stands firm just because he feels it writhe."

And Tennyson, in picturing to us in the Idylls, the passage of the soul
"from the great deep to the great deep", appears to have felt
it necessary to the completion of that picture (or why did he do it?),
that he should bring out that doubt at the last moment.
The dying Arthur is made to say: --

"I am going a long way
With these thou seest -- if indeed I go
(For all my mind is clouded with a doubt) --
To the island-valley of Avilion"; etc.

Tennyson's poetry is, in fact, an expression of the highest
sublimation of the scepticism which came out of the eighteenth century,