Westminster Abbey: not too shabby

June 7th, 2022

After touring Westminster Abbey, I totally understood why Molly said there was a clear difference in Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral. While I awed over Westminster’s architecture and history, I can see how St. Paul’s is considered the people’s church, while Westminster Abbey is deemed for royals. Its longstanding history is truly remarkable, especially seeing the coronation church. I especially thought it was a little disheartening (but also realistic) when Molly said that a few school-aged boys wrote on the chair, so now it will forever be graffitied. 

My favorite part of the tour of the abbey was seeing the writers whom I have looked up to and learned from to be memorialized and/or buried there. I have studied individuals like George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), T.S. Eliot, and Lord Tennyson, all of whom are commemorated in the abbey.

Mary Ann Evans, or otherwise known as George Eliot, was an English novelist during the 1800’s. Evans is famous for her work, as she believed her pen name made her work able to be taken seriously compared to other works which were written by women. Through growing up and studying her, I found that I looked up to her because of her desire to redefine what women authors wrote about. 

T.S. Eliot is another author who is buried at Westminster. During my first year of college, I became really fascinated in the modern era, which in turn made me interested in Eliot’s work. His works have stood the test of time, and I will always hold dear “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “The Waste Land.” Through his attempts at redefining literature during the modern era, he has ultimately changed the way writers interact with their pieces, especially as it relates to disillusionment, war-hysteria, identity fluidity, etc. In my opinion, Eliot remains the first modern day poet and will continue to hold this title.

Lastly, Lord Alfred Tennyson, an English poet, is also buried in the abbey. Living in the 1800’s, Tennyson wrote poetry and was deemed the Poet Laureate due to his impeccable publications. Being one with the times, his poetry often dealt with nature and the sublime, as his imagery was often very descriptive and beautifully written. Even with his death in the late 1800’s, Tennyson’s name will live on, as seen through his burial site location. 

I found it interesting that Charles Darwin would be buried in Westminster Abbey due to his controversial studies in evolution. However, I believe that it just goes to show that during this time period – and through today – there are individuals who believe in a balance between religion and science: with the two of them being able to coexist with one another. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed looking at Westminster Abbey’s architecture and stained glass. The design on the ceilings are wonderfully made, and I will indeed be recommending this tour to any and all who visit London.

-Maggie Martin