"
Mariana" is a poem by
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, published in 1830. It was inspired by
William Shakespeare's
Measure for Measure, though possibly drawing on influences from sources as varied as
Sappho and
Keats. It depicts a young woman lamenting her isolation from society, and her despair at her lover's absence, using imagery of a decaying wasteland surrounding Mariana's house to convey her emotions and isolation. The poem was well received at publication; one modern scholar described Mariana as "the most famous heroine of the 1830 volume".
Photogravure illustration: W. E. F. Britten; restoration: Adam Cuerden