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| THE LADY OF SHALLOT |
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| The Lady of Shalott is a poem that was written by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It was first published in 1832. The beautiful Lady of Shalott, (known as Lady Elaine the Lady of Astolat), is a magical being who lives in a tower on an island in the middle of a river that flows past Camerlot. Every day she weaves a tapestry picture of the landscape that is visible from her window. She is cursed and cannot look directly out of the window so she views everything through a mirror reflection then weaves the images into her tapestry. One day Sir Lancelot comes riding by on his horse, down the road that runs beside the river. He is very handsome and she can't help but look at him. As soon as she does the curse upon her smashes the mirror. So she decides to leave and go in search of Camelot and finds a boat at the side of the river. As the boat drifts along she is happy to finally see everything that has been denied her. But as the boat floats towards Camelot she dies. When the Knights of the Round Table see the tragic figure in the boat, they make the sign of the cross. Sir Lancelot said she had a lovely face. "Who is this, and what is here? And in the lighted palace near Died the sound of Royal cheer; And they cross'd themselves for fear, And all the Knights at Camelot. But Lancelot mused a little space; He said "she has a lovely face" God in his mercy loved her grace The Lady of Shallot. |
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