The Lady of Shalott

Tennyson, as our editors point out, was early on told by his friend, R.C. Trench, "Tennyson, we can't live in Art." Discuss how Tennyson might have had this in mind when writing this poem.

Living in art was exactly what the Lady of Shalott was doing. The woman was cursed to only be able to do this exact thing. “There she weaves by night and day//A magic web with colors gay,//She has heard a whisper say,//A curse is on her if she stay//To look down to Camelot.” She cannot watch out the large window down to Camelot or she would be cursed. Instead she must sit and work at her loom, only watching the land through a mirror. She cannot stop her working, she cannot go out and interact with the people. One day, she spies Lancelot and straying to the window to watch him, the curse inacts! “Out flew the web and floated wide;//The mirror cracked from side to side;//’The curse is come upon me,’ cried//The Lady of Shalott.” The Lady lived in the art and forsaking it, it left her and she died.

What did you think of the poem?
The flow is beautiful. I did Forensics competitions in high school and this poem was a favorite competition piece. I had one friend who delivered it with such eloquence! The story is sort of bitter sweet as well. Though she never met her knight, Lancelot did meet her in a way and even commented on her beauty. Tragic but lovely.