Arthur Hallam

Arthur Henry Hallam (1 February 1811 – 15 September 1833) was an English poet, best known as the subject of a major work, In Memoriam, by his close friend and fellow poet Alfred Tennyson. Hallam has been described as the jeune homme fatal (French for "doomed young man") of his generation. Early life and education Hallam was born in London, son of the historian Henry Hallam. He attended school at Eton, where he met the future prime minister, William Ewart Gladstone. Hallam was an important influence on Gladstone, introducing him to Whiggish ideas and people. Other friends included James Milnes Gaskell. After leaving Eton in 1827 Hallam travelled on the continent with his family, and in Italy he became inspired by its culture and fell in love with an English beauty, Anna Mildred Wintour, who inspired eleven of his poems. In October 1828, Hallam went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he met and befriended Tennyson. As Christopher Ricks observes, 'The friendship of Hallam and Tennyson was swift and deep.'