In need of a little assistance

I'm currently working on a research project over Tennyson in my writing class at school. The thesis: "No author lives in a vacuum; all writers are influenced by their own times, their own places. This was certainly true of (Tennyson), who, in turn, influenced English literature with ______"

I've found a ton of information on his life story, but I'm having trouble connecting that with his influences and contributions, so my favor to ask is a point in the right direction (mostly with the contributions part).

points of interest (links, websites, books to check out, etc) will be much appreciated. I'm not asking for a "walk through" on this assignment, since from what I've read of Tennyson so far I've loved, and want to learn more about him (plus I don't want to cheat *smile*).

Thanks in advance(: