The Lady of Shalott Summary
"The Lady of Shalott" is a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson about a lady who lives alone on the small island of Shalott. One day, the lady sees Sir Lancelot out her window.
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No one in the surrounding countryside has seen the Lady of Shalott. They know her only by her beautiful singing, which carries over the river.
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The lady spends all her days singing and weaving. One day, the image of Sir Lancelot, a knight, appears in her mirror, and she looks out at him through her window.
- The lady sets out on a boat toward Camelot. She dies en route.
Summary
Lines 1-9
The poem begins by painting a visual picture of the scene. Readers are
introduced to the river, the road, and, in the distance, the towers of Camelot.
The people in this part of the poem lack specific identities; they represent
ordinary individuals going about their daily routines. From their viewpoint,
the poem first reveals Shalott, an island situated in the river.
Lines 10-18
Here, the imagery evokes nature, freedom, and movement. This is juxtaposed with
the rigid, colorless walls and towers of Camelot mentioned in line 15. The
flowers in the following line are not described by their colors or their
swaying in the breeze but are "overlooked" by the grey walls, as if they are
trapped. This severe tone amidst nature's vibrant activity sets the stage for
the introduction of the Lady of Shalott in line 18.
Lines 19-27
Lines 19-23 shift focus back to the human activities around the island: small
river barges carry heavy loads, and quick boats called "shallops" glide past
the shore near the tower, here referred to as a "margin." Amidst this bustling
activity, the poem questions who has seen the woman residing in the tower,
suggesting her mysterious and unknown nature, as if she is "veiled."
Lines 28-36
In the fourth stanza of Section I, the imagery transitions from the senses of
sight and touch (as implied by the plants' movements in the wind in stanza 2)
to the sense of sound. The poem reveals that the lady in the tower has not been
seen; she is only known to the farmers who hear her singing while they work in
their fields early in the morning, with the moon still visible. Because they
never see her and only hear her singing, the reapers imagine the Lady of
Shalott as a spirit, a "fairy." Up to this point, the reader has also not been
introduced to her and knows as much about her as those outside the tower
do.
Lines 37-45
The Lady appears content in her current state: her songs resonate "cheerly"
(line 30), and she weaves vibrant, joyful colors into her tapestry (line 38),
with no other concerns besides her weaving (line 44). However, in this stanza,
the reader learns that the Lady will be cursed if she looks directly at
Camelot. This concept intertwines various familiar themes: readers might
recognize the maiden trapped in a tower, similar to Rapunzel, or a maiden under
a spell, akin to Sleeping Beauty. Additionally, in Greek mythology, Penelope,
the wife of Ulysses, fended off suitors while her husband was away by
perpetually weaving and then unraveling her work each night, ensuring it was
never completed. This allusion is fitting because both Penelope and the Lady of
Shalott use their craft as a means to avoid human interaction. Interestingly,
the Lady neither understands the reason for her isolation nor seems to mind
it.
Lines 46-54
Unable to gaze directly at the world outside her window, the Lady observes it
through a mirror. This stanza outlines some of the things she sees reflected in
that mirror. The images are described as "shadows." According to the Greek
philosopher Plato, our experience of life is akin to a person chained inside
the mouth of a cave: unable to see outside, he only perceives the shadows of
people passing by, flickering on the wall, and mistakes these shadows for
reality. Similarly, we all, according to Plato, confuse images of reality with
actual reality, which remains unseen. For the Lady of Shalott, reality is not
the expansive landscape but rather the reflections (Tennyson calls them
"shadows") she observes in the mirror.
Lines 55-63
In this stanza, the people are depicted as being in motion, living their busy
lives, while the Lady's life remains solitary and unchanging. Reflected in her
mirror, she sees a group of happy girls, a clergyman, a page, and occasionally,
the knights of Camelot, riding in columns.
Lines 64-72
The poem's action begins in this stanza, marking a shift in the Lady's outlook:
in line 55, she is pleased with the tapestry she is weaving of the outside
world, but by line 71, when she speaks for the first time, she expresses
dissatisfaction with her situation. In between these moments, she observes
people involved in significant events—a funeral is mentioned first, followed by
a wedding—which heightens her awareness of her own loneliness and inability to
participate.
Lines 73-81
The image of Sir Lancelot appears in the Lady's mirror with the speed and
intensity of an arrow shot from just outside her bedroom window. Tennyson's
description blends the knight's bold, commanding presence with his chivalrous
deeds. Sunlight reflects off his gleaming armor, making him seem ablaze. The
poem's speaker notes that even when dressed for battle, Lancelot always took
the time to kneel before a lady. His knighthood signifies his supreme honor and
nobility.
Lines 82-90
In this second stanza of Section III, the focus shifts from Lancelot's visual
appearance to the sounds he creates. The bells on his bridle ring "merrily" as
he rides, his armor clinks, and a "mighty bugle" hangs from his belt. The
musical notes from the bugle convey the urgency of the situation.
Lines 91-99
This stanza compares Sir Lancelot to a meteor, glowing as if on fire and
splendid in his armor, "trailing light." It highlights the awe-inspiring sight
he creates as he rides toward Camelot.
Lines 100-108
Following the detailed portrayal of Lancelot, this stanza, particularly line
106, marks the first time the Lady sees him. Tennyson writes that he "flashed
into the crystal mirror," which is fitting given his shining armor. This is
especially appropriate because earlier, the Lady referred to the images in her
mirror as "shadows" (line 71), which are dark and dull.
Another notable aspect is that Sir Lancelot sings. The immediate reason for the Lady's attraction to him, prompting her to look out the window, is not visual but audible. Tennyson suggests that the fullness of life is something the Lady can no longer ignore. Lancelot sings a traditional folk refrain, historically accurate and likely to evoke nostalgia among Tennyson's contemporaries.
Lines 109-117
Although it is Lancelot's singing that drives the Lady to risk looking out the
window, she only glimpses his helmet and the feather on it. The irony is buried
within the rush of mystical events indicating the curse mentioned in line 40 is
real: the mirror cracks, and the tapestry unravels. This can also be
interpreted psychologically. The events could symbolize the Lady's internal
state: as she engages with the outside world, her sense of self (the mirror)
and her achievements (the tapestry) disintegrate, as if social interaction is a
curse to her identity.
Lines 118-126
The season has shifted—earlier in the poem, during the barley harvest (lines
28-29), it was late summer. By line 119, the scene has transitioned to autumn,
as further evidenced by the falling leaves in line 138. Although the timeline
seems too short for a seasonal change, the poem's magical elements (such as the
mysterious origin of the Lady's curse) make this time compression plausible.
It's noteworthy that the Lady inscribes her name on the boat's side: if the
mirror symbolizes self-awareness, then at this moment in the poem, she is a
woman whose sense of identity has been "shattered." She signs not with a
personal name, but with a title ("Lady") and a place ("Shalott").
Lines 127-135
"Mischance" means misfortune or bad luck—the Lady realizes she is doomed as she
gazes toward Camelot, which had been so captivating to her that it (personified
by Sir Lancelot) compelled her to look, sealing her fate. Previously, she
viewed Camelot through a mirror, where her reflection would typically be; in
line 130, her face ("countenance") is described as glassy, evoking the mirror,
but it does not reflect.
Lines 136-144
The "they" referred to in line 143 are the reapers who were previously
enchanted by the Lady's singing.
Lines 145-153
The Lady of Shalott's death is depicted with traditional death imagery: cold,
darkness, and mournful singing, among others. This stanza serves as a bridge,
linking the dying Lady's departure with her arrival at Camelot as a deceased
woman.
Lines 154-162
The Lady's lifeless body is described as "dead-pale" and "gleaming," creating a
stark visual contrast against the night as she floats past Camelot. In line
160, Tennyson lists the castle's occupants, who are likely noticing the Lady
for the first time, despite her keen awareness of them. They are depicted as
curious, emerging from their homes to the wharf to see her, and moving around
to read the inscription on the boat. This stanza concludes, leaving readers to
wonder about the impact her appearance will have on the people of Camelot.
Lines 163-171
In the opening five lines of this stanza, the initial curiosity of Camelot's
inhabitants shifts to a primal fear of encountering death. The Christian
townspeople react to this fear by making the sign of the cross to protect
themselves. At this moment, Tennyson brings his lengthy poem to a climax: the
Lady of Shalott, so captivated by the allure of Camelot, was ultimately
compelled to gaze upon it directly. In these lines, she evokes an emotional
response that is nearly as powerful. However, Lancelot, whose striking presence
had such a profound effect on the Lady that it led to her demise, looks at her,
pauses for "a little space," and finally, without emotion, comments on her
beauty. Tennyson then gives Lancelot a standard benediction of the era, a
blessing that could have been uttered for anyone, whether a friend or a
stranger.
Expert Q&A
Does Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" reflect aspects of his own life?
"The Lady of Shalott" reflects aspects of Tennyson's life, particularly his struggles with depression and fear of mental illness. The poem's theme of isolation mirrors Tennyson's withdrawal from society due to sensitivity to criticism. The Lady's confinement and eventual tragic fate can symbolize Tennyson's emotional turmoil and his reaction to negative reception of his work. The poem's revisions after a decade of silence reflect Tennyson's response to earlier criticism.
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