Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Tennyson composed many of his poems in his head, partly because he was extremely nearsighted. (Source)
Lancelot was a way bigger jerk in the traditional legends of King Arthur. In those stories, Elaine of Astolat (after whom Tennyson modeled the Lady of Shalott) nurses him when he is sick. Then she tells him she loves him, and he turns her down. Heartbroken, she kills herself. On top of that, Lancelot sleeps with King Arthur's wife! Not such a noble knight after all. (Source)
Tennyson wrote a 6000-line poem when he was twelve! We don't know about you, but we were proud that we'd memorized our multiplication tables at that age. (Source)