The 200th anniversary of the birth of Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), one of the most popular of poets, is celebrated in 2009. Works such as The Charge of the Light Brigade , Crossing the Bar and Tears, idle tears have made him an internationally famous figure, and the second most quoted writer of all time (after Shakespeare). Tennyson's poetic works encompass a great range of styles, settings and personae, and are known for their emotional resonance and powerful imagery. Naxos AudioBooks' popular The Great Poets series marks the anniversary with a CD bringing together all the key works, read by veteran reader Michael Pennington.