The final element of the Victorian age that can be seen in Tennyson's poetry is a feeling of isolation strongly felt among the Victorians. This sense of isolation, which has sparked the desire for social change, has been felt for various reasons. The first is that the scientific discoveries mentioned above differentiate younger generations from older ones. Many people feared the effects of rapid industrialization, as they often did not fully understand the technology, making them feel isolated from the modern world and nostalgic for simpler rural life. Another is that the spiritual doubt resulting from these scientific advances also led Victorians, and particularly Victorian artists, to feel isolated from life, love, and spirituality. This theme can be seen in The Lady of Shalott, along with themes about women's roles. In the poem, the Lady of Shalott is completely isolated from society so much so that it becomes harmful to her psyche and she ultimately chooses death over her life of isolation. The dangers of social isolation shown in the poem highlight the need for social change that was keenly felt in the Victorian era. It also shows the isolation of the Victorian artist, who must observe life rather than participate in it. For example, the Lady of Shalott must continue to weave her web alone, and as soon as she tries to participate in the world her web is ruined. This may be symbolic of how it was often thought that an artist's work could suffer when he tries to become more than just an observer, when he breaks his isolation. A similar theme is expressed in Ulysses, where the speaker, like the Lady of Shalott, longs to explore the world, but is instead resigned to a life of conformity: marriage, good manners, a boring job. He is... middle of paper... This can be compared to the fears the Victorians had about industrialization and the move away from simple, rural life. Tennyson's poetry has stood the test of time because it successfully depicts a time and place and reflects the feelings of the people who live there. His ability to capture the feelings of uncertainty and loss that were characteristic of this time period, through his use of description, diction, and pathetic fallacy, made his poetry not only pleasing to the ear, but also historically important. He surpassed Wordsworth and other poets of his generation as Poet Laureate because his poems capture the important social issues of the Victorian age such as the change in religious belief as a result of science, the confusion surrounding women's roles in society, and the isolation that comes from it. due to the rapid social and economic changes that have occurred.