Tennyson’s Lady of Shalott was written for a reason. The ability/necessity to break away from imprisonment, chastity, the power of dreams/reflections, and other topics are explored in ‘The Lady of Shalott.’ Instead, she gazes at a mirror, which reflects the bustling road and the passing Camelot residents.Īs a result, what is the Lady of Shalott’s fundamental idea? Similarly, what was the Lady of Shalott’s curse? She is afflicted by an unknown affliction and is compelled to weave pictures on her loom without ever gazing out into the world. The river is literally a tangible entity that surrounds the island of Shalott. The Lady of Shalott only sees the castle in her mirror, rather than experiencing it herself. Then there’s the question of what the Lady of Shalott represents.Ĭamelot is a symbol for the outer world and freedom.
The Lady of Shalott’s aspirations of love and freedom are dashed when she freezes to death while attempting to reach Camelot. The Lady of Shalott is a four-part poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson about a young medieval lady who is inexplicably imprisoned on an island near Camelot. The poem tells the story of a woman who sits on a rock in a river and stares at her reflection in the water. The “the lady of shalott poem summary” is a narrative poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Despite this curse and other challenges, the Lady persisted on doing what she loved best: writing poetry about love and beauty. She was cursed by Merlin that if she ever took her eyes off it, then she would die. The Lady of Shalott is a tragic figure in Arthurian legend, who had taken up the penance to remain in her tower for life.