- Tennyson was a famous English poet who lived from 1809-1892. He came from a clergyman family and had 12 siblings. - Some of his most famous poems include "The Eagle" and he is the second most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations after Shakespeare. - "The Eagle" is a short poem about an eagle perched on high watching the sea below. It uses descriptive language and symbols of being close to the sun to portray the eagle's power and status. The eagle is personified and the last line uses a simile comparing it to a thunderbolt as it launches into flight.