And while they look at her, they realise that the sound of the songs that usually came from the tower have stopped. She is discovered by the inhabitants there who wonder who she is. Slowly the chill freezes her blood and darkens her eyes and she dies while still sailing, before even reaching Camelot. In the cold weather, she rows her boat and sings merry carols. She dresses in a “snowy white” robe and even though the weather is stormy, she rushes towards the coastline of the river, finds a boat and writes “The Lady of Shallot” on it. She throws her magic web outside and as she looks upon Sir Lancelot, her mirror breaks and she finds herself under a haunting curse.

He is shining in his knight’s armour, is wearing a helmet, and has “coal-black curls.” He is glowing as he rides down Camelot while singing “Tirra lirra.” Seeing him through the mirror, The Lady of Shallot is hit by an exciting urge to look at the town directly. Just when she is “half sick of shadows,” she sees Sir Lancelot’s reflection in the mirror. She is tired of seeing deaths, young girls in the market, and young lovers getting married and longs to see someone who isn’t merely a shadow to her. She spends her time weaving a colourful magic web, singing carols, and looking into her mirror whenever she wishes to look at the outside world. She hears a voice that forbids her from looking down upon Camelot, otherwise, a curse might follow. The poem recites the story of The Lady of Shallot, who is confined inside a tower on an island near Camelot. The poem is set in the medieval times, during King Arthur’s reign.

An Overview of the Poem The Lady of ShallotĪlfred, Lord Tennyson’s The Lady of Shallot draws its inspiration from the above mentioned Arthurian legend.

The lady of shalott lord tennyson