Maynard's English Classic Series. Idylls of the King: The Coming of Arthur, Gareth and Lynette, Guinevere, Lancelot and Elaine, the Holy Grail, the Passing of Arthur

Idylls of the King is a series of twelve poems by the English poet Alfred Tennyson, published from 1859 to 1885, which tells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Arthur, and Arthur's love for Guenever and her tragic betrayal. This edition was published in 1903. The entire work tells the story of Arthur's attempt and failure to raise humanity and create an ideal kingdom, from coming to power to the death of the traitor Mordred. Some of the poems detail the actions of various knights such as Lancelot, Balin, Galahad, Gerent and Balan, as well as the Lady of the Lake and Merlin. The central figure of Arthur connects all the stories in the Idylls. Idylls are written in blank verse. The description of Tennyson's character follows from observations of his surroundings collected over the years. While dramatic narratives are not epic in tone or structure, they evoke elegiac sadness in the style of Theocritus' Idylls. The idylls of the king are often viewed as a possible allegory for social conflict in mid-Victorian Britain.