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The "Proem" for Tennyson's long poem In Memoriam A. H. H. literally opens with a strong beginning: the word "strong" emphasizes the speaker's awe and gives the poem a powerful tone. The phrase "Strong Son of God" can be read in two ways. The most obvious of these is that it is a reference to Jesus, who is referred to frequently in Christian doctrine as the Son of God. This emphasis on God's human element also serves to imply a human subject to the poem, perhaps Arthur Henry Hallam, who is not mentioned in "Proem," but whose initials appear in the title of the longer poem. Throughout the longer poem, readers find more evidence that Tennyson has drawn a connection between Christ and Hallam, whom he represents as a figure for the higher race of humanity that is expected to develop from Christ's prophesied second-coming.

The...