What Makes The Lady Of Shalott Exciting

Essay, Research Paper

?? This poem by

Alfred, Lord Tennyson is exciting for many reasons.? The poem has a dramatic narrative, includes exciting events, has

a beautiful heroine and a handsome hero.?

It also has strong characters, old language and a fast and exciting

tempo.? It is set in the time of Arthur

and the king of the round table.? It is

about a young lady named ?The Lady of Shalott? who has a fairytale image

surrounding her.? When people hear her

singing they say, ?Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott? ?????? She lives on the island of Shalott near

to the town of Camelot, where she is trapped inside a tower, in a castle

within, ?Four grey walls and four grey towers? ?????? She is not allowed to leave the tower

or look directly out of the window, because she has been cursed.? No one has ever seen her, but they know she

is in the tower because they hear her singing, early in the morning.? This adds extra interest to the poem, making

it more mysterious.? She passes the days

by weaving tapestries on her web, of the things she sees through the reflection

in her mirror.? She also notices many

people going down to Camelot: ?a long-haired page in crimson clad.? ?market

girls in red cloaks?, ?a curly haired shepherd lad?, ?an abbot on an ambling

pad’ At

first she is content with her life, then when she sees the knights ride past,

she begins to realise how lonely she actually is and doubt sets in as, ?she

hath no loyal knight?.? Then when she

sees, ?two young lovers lately wed? in the moonlight, she becomes aware of what

she is missing out on, romance, and she is almost upset, ?I am half sick of

shadows?. ?????? The final thing that makes her think

she is missing out on the real world is, ?bold Sir Lancelot?.? She is enchanted by him.? Instantly, she becomes aware that if she

remains in the tower forever she will never be happy.? Therefore, she decides to leave the tower.? Although she knows that something bad might

happen, she is willing to take that risk.?

She decides to take a chance because she can no longer live life in a

shadow.?She

left the web, she left the loom, ?She made three paces thro? the room, She

saw the water-lily bloom, She

saw the helmet and the plume, ?She looked down to Camelot.? And,?The

mirror cracked from side to side?. ??????????????????????? The tapestry flew out

of the window, ??????????????????????? ?Out flew the web and

floated wide?. This

is when the Lady of Shalott realises that, ?The curse is upon her?. ?????? Suddenly, there is a sudden change in

the weather and it turns dark, ?????? ?In the stormy east wind straining, The

pale yellow woods were waning?. ?????? We are made to believe that this is

some to so with the curse.? The Lady of

Shalott goes down to the water?s edge and under a willow tree she finds a boat

and around the side she writes, ?The Lady of Shalott?.? She unties the boat, lies down in it and

floats down the river to Camelot.? There

is a moment of anxiety, as to whether she will actually make it to

Camelot.? Unfortunately, she dies, as

she sings and she reaches Camelot where she is surrounded by, ?Knight and burgher, lord and dame, ?And round the

prow they read her name, The Lady of

Shalott?. The

poem ends with Sir Lancelot saying,?She

has a lovely face; God in his mercy give her grace, The Lady of Shalott?.This

is an ironic ending, because the Lady of Shalott has loved Sir Lancelot for

most of her life and he has only just noticed her, would probably have loved

her too and now she is dead.? ?????? The characters in this poem are also

exciting. ?These include the Lady of

Shalott and Sir Lancelot.? The Lady of

Shalott is young and attractive, a talented weaver and singer.? Beneath the surface lies a strong-minded

lady who is willing to take risks, she broke the curse, although she knew that

this would fall back on her. ?????? Sir Lancelot is an excitingly handsome

red cross knight.? He made a powerful

impression on the Lady of Shalott.? He

is a perfect man.? A brave, handsome,

heroic knight.? He is the stereotypical

knight.? He wears a shoulder sash with

heraldic designs and a hanging silver bugle too.? He has, ?Coal-black curls,? which are half-covered with a helmet,

in shining armour he rides his horse. ?????? ?On burnished hooves his war-horse

trode? ?????? The language

used by Alfred, Lord Tennyson also makes the poem exciting.? He uses language, to show a change.? He also uses exciting colour imagery,? "barley?", "dazzling",

"flamed", ?and imagery, sounds, "Hear

a song that echoes cheerly". In Part I there is a lot of movement described, for example,

"Flowing down to Camelot." ?????? In Part II

there is a vivid sense of exciting colour and movement described.? It is a very funny part of the poem and

ideas of happiness are shown. ?????? Colour is

described when the Lady of Shalott sees, a long haired page in crimson clad,

market girls in red cloaks and when she looks into her mirror, "And

sometimes thro? the mirror blue." ?????? Part III

brings about, a sense of lust and passion surrounding, ?bold Sir Lancelot? In the first stanza, there is a great deal of ?Golden

Imagery?, ?barley?, ?sun?, ?dazzling?, The effect of this is to create a romantic feeling. ?????? The second

stanza sets off the loving imagery and there is sound imagery too, to set the

scene and let you feel the sounds, all these sounds add to the excitement, ?The

bridle bells rang merrily? ?And

as he rode his armour rung?. ?????? Stanza three is full of sparkly imagery, which adds to the

excitement ?flame?,

?starry?, ?bearded meteor? Stanza four

brings a sudden change, to emphasise the panic she is experiencing,? ???????????????????????????????????? ?She left the web, she left

the loom, ????????????????????????????????????? She made three paces thro?

the room, ????????????????????????????????????? She saw the water-lily bloom, ?????? ???????????????????????????????She saw the

helmet and the plume, ????????????????????????????????????? She looked down to Camelot.? This stanza has suddenly

altered the happy mood to a moment of tension. In Part IV

the mood changes.? In the first stanza, there

is a change in weather and a sense of evil is revealed. ?In

the stormy east wind straining? ?Heavily

the low sky waning? The final

four stanzas are very important.? At

first she lies in the boat ?robed in snowy white? this is showing purity. In stanza

four, the poem is slowed down; this is the death of the Lady of Shalott, ?Till her blood was frozen slowly? She then enters Camelot,

?Dead-pale? and it is silent.? Everyone

is very nosy, so they ask questions, ?Who

is this? And what is here?? The poem ends with Sir Lancelot

saying, ?She has lovely face; God in his mercy lend her

grace, The Lady of Shalott.? ?????? The tempo of this poem also makes it exciting.? In Part I, it is very calm and slow.? In Parts II and III, the poem becomes brighter

and the tempo is slightly faster too. ?????? In the last verse of Part III there is a dramatic change in

the tempo, there is a definite increase in pace, therefore, an increase in

excitement too.? The final Part is very

slow and quiet, as this is when the Lady of Shalott actually dies and it is

showing her journey down to Camelot and the death itself. ?????? In conclusion, you should take more

chances.? I found it sad and felt sorry

with the Lady of Shalott and her situation.?

It must have been terrible to be locked up in a tower while the outside

world is having fun and experiencing everything that life has to offer.? It is an exciting poem. ??

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