Tennyson's central poem is presented with an extensive introduction that provides background information on the poet and poem as well as an overview of In Memoriam 's formal and thematic peculiarities, including Tennyson's use of the stanza and the poem's rhyme scheme. The authoritative text is again that of the Eversley Edition of Tennyson's Works, published in 1901—8, which is accompanied by detailed explanatory annotations. "Criticism" contains thirteen essays-—seven of which are new to the Second Edition—among them examples of formal (Sarah Gates), contextual (W. David Shaw), reader-response (Timothy Peltason), queer (Jeff Nunokawa), and genre (Alan Sinfield) criticism. A chapter from Christopher Ricks's influential biography, Tennyson , is included. A Chronology, Selected Bibliography, and Index of First Lines are also included. About the series : No other series of classic texts equals the calibre of the Norton Critical Editions . Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide.