"St Simeon Stylites" is a poem written by Alfred Tennyson in 1833 and published in his 1842 collection of poetry. The poem describes the actions of St. Simeon Stylites, a Christian ascetic saint who recounts his various physical acts in hopes that he has earned his place in heaven. It captures Tennyson's feelings following the death of a close friend, Arthur Hallam, and contains feelings of self-loathing and regret. The work has ironic overtones that give it the appearance of a satirical work.
In 1833, Tennyson's close friend Arthur Hallam died. He was deeply affected by this death and many of his poems written soon after contained feelings of self-loathing and regret, including "St. Simeon Stylites".[1] The poem also contained a satirical response to religious asceticism in general, which is possibly related to his feelings about his aunt Mary Bourne and her Calvinistic views. "St. Simeon Stylites" was completed by autumn 1833 and was circulated among Tennyson's fellows at Cambridge University.[2]
The poem was later published in his 1842 collection of poetry.[3] The poem's combination of dark humour, imagery and sympathy for the hero was unique in relationship to the previous works Tennyson published before 1842.[4] Tennyson, at the end of his life in 1892, returned to the idea and followed "St. Simeon Stylites" with the poem "St. Telemachus".[5]
Within the poem, St. Simeon describes himself in excess:[6]
St. Simeon, with all that he does, still doubts his salvation. While he believes that experiencing pain can be beneficial, he questions if there will be any benefit from his actions:[6]
As the poem progresses, he reveals that he depends on the number of his actions to verify his deeds:[6]
Near the poem's end, St. Simeon is filled with confidence that he will experience paradise, but this is followed by doubt that it is only a trick:[7]
The poem concludes with St. Simeon returning to his counting, which is followed by him asking that the reader follows his pattern:[7]
"St. Simeon Stylites" is related to other post-Hallam works like Ulysses as it captures Tennyson's feelings after his friend's death. Later, in In Memoriam, Tennyson would describe his feelings in a broad manner.[8] The work has ironic overtones that make it appear as a satirical work. As a whole, the work parodies Christianity that emphasises the egotistical self while also serving as a lamentation of the self. The character of St Simeon is portrayed in a manner that he is comical and disgusting while also being sympathetic. He is also simultaneously an abnormal individual and a normal individual that captures the extremes of human personality while also exhibiting moderate characteristics. At the end of the poem, St Simeon asks that the reader follows his example. His example is one the reader would reject, but it is also one that the reader would recognise as the basic pattern of humanity.[9]
Tennyson discusses consciousness and personality in "St. Simeon Stylites". The humour within the poem is not a primary focus in a similar way as Will Waterproof's Lyrical Monologue. Although the poem is very different from the works before 1842, it has some relationship with The Two Voices. The humour and irony is the result of St Simeon trying to deal with his internal self by dealing with his external self. Although he hates his body, his body becomes his representation for being spiritually correct. St. Simeon focuses on the material world, and even religious songs are important only for their sound and not their truth. Even in thinking about his death, he can only think of how his body will be treated. This is surrounded by the poem describing St. Simeon's physical condition in a humorous manner, such as his lack of teeth or him being an old man, instead of being described as a saint.[10]
In relationship of the style of "St. Simeon Stylites" with the rest of Tennyson's works, James Kincaid declare: "Critics often express astonishment that the same mind could produce both 'St. Simeon Stylites' and 'The May Queen'".[11] As a dramatic monologue, the poem is similar to The Lotos-Eaters, Rizpah and Ulysses, and it is similar to the dramatic monologues of Robert Browning. In terms of the poem's use of irony, it is similar to the "Northern Farmer" poems. In use of a figure that serves as an auditor of the poem, "St. Simeon Stylites" is similar to "Columbus", "Despair", "Tiresias", Ulysses and other poems. In the particular use in "St Simeon Stylites", the auditor is in place to determine who Simeon is directing his conversation to: God or St. Simeon.[12]
In response to the 1842 collection of poems, Tennyson's friend James Spedding wrote a review that focused on "The Palace of Art", "St. Simeon Stylites", The Two Voices and The Vision of Sin as good works.[13] Leigh Hunt, in a review for the October 1842 Church and England Quarterly Review, said that the work was an "appalling satire on the pseudo-aspirations of egotistical asceticism and superstition".[14]
