John William Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott, 1888 (Tate Gallery, London)

For other uses of the word "Shalott", please see Shalott (disambiguation)

"The Lady of Shalott" is a Victorian poem by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892). Like other early poems— "Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere," and "Galahad"— the poem recasts Arthurian subject matter loosely based on medieval sources and takes up some themes that would become more fully realized in Idylls of the King where the tale of Elaine is recounted. Download high resolution version (1296x986, 299 KB) John William Waterhouse The Lady of Shallot, 1888 Based on Tennysons poem The Lady of Shallot The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with copyright terms... Download high resolution version (1296x986, 299 KB) John William Waterhouse The Lady of Shallot, 1888 Based on Tennysons poem The Lady of Shallot The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with copyright terms... John William Waterhouse. ... John William Waterhouses The Lady of Shalott, 1888. ... The Tate Gallery in the United Kingdom is a network of four galleries: Tate Britain (opened 1897), Tate Liverpool (1988), Tate St Ives (1993), Tate Modern (2000), with a complementary website Tate Online (1998). ... Shalott commonly refers to: Shalott, an island in the poem The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Shalott may be a misspelling of: Shallot, a root vegetable similar to the onion Category: ... Poetry (ancient Greek: poieo = create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and is one of the most popular English poets. ... For other uses, see Lancelot (disambiguation) and Sir Lancelot (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guinevere (disambiguation). ... A portrait of Sir Galahad by George Frederick Watts. ... King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Britain. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... The Idylls of the King (1856 - 1885) are a cycle of poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson that express the legend of King Arthur in terms of the psychology and concerns of nineteenth-century England. ...

Overview

Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott Looking at Lancelot

The poem (of which Tennyson wrote two versions: one published in 1833, of twenty stanzas, the other in 1842 of nineteen stanzas) is commonly believed to have been loosely based upon a story from Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur concerning Elaine of Astolat, a maiden who falls in love with Lancelot, but dies of grief when he cannot return her love. However, Tennyson himself said that the poem was based on a thirteenth-century Italian novella entitled Donna di Scalotta (No. lxxxi in the collection Cento Novelle Antiche)^[1], which focuses on the lady's death and her reception at Camelot. Tennyson chose to focus instead on her isolation in the tower and her decision to participate in the living world, two subjects not mentioned in "Donna di Scalotta."^[2] Like Malory's version, Donna di Scalotta is based on part of an early 13th century French romance, the Mort Artu. Both Scalotta and Astolat are alterations of the name Escalot in the French version of the story. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 352 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1093 × 1859 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 352 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1093 × 1859 pixel, file size: 1. ... John William Waterhouse. ... Sir Thomas Malory (c. ... The Last Sleep of Arthur by Edward Burne-Jones Le Morte dArthur (spelled Le Morte Darthur in the first printing and also in some modern editions, Middle French for la mort dArthur, the death of Arthur) is Sir Thomas Malorys compilation of some French and English Arthurian... A figure in Arthurian legend, Elaine was the figure of unrequited love later solemnized in Alfred Tennysons poem The Lady of Shalott. ... For other uses, see Lancelot (disambiguation) and Sir Lancelot (disambiguation). ... The Lancelot-Grail, also known as the prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle, or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is a major source of Arthurian legend. ...

Synopsis

The first four stanzas describe a pastoral setting. The Lady of Shalott lives in an island castle in a river which flows to Camelot, but little is known about her by the local farmers.

And by the moon the reaper weary,

Piling sheaves in uplands airy,

Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy

The Lady of Shalott."

Stanzas five through eight describe the lady's life. She has been cursed, and so must constantly weave a magic web without looking directly out at the world. Instead, she looks into a mirror which reflects the busy road and the people of Camelot which pass by her island.

She knows not what the curse may be,

And so she weaveth steadily,

And little other care hath she,

The Lady of Shalott.

Stanzas nine through twelve describe "bold Sir Lancelot" as he rides past, and is seen by the lady. For other uses, see Lancelot (disambiguation) and Sir Lancelot (disambiguation). ...

All in the blue unclouded weather

Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather,

The helmet and the helmet-feather

Burn'd like one burning flame together,

As he rode down to Camelot.

The remaining seven stanzas describe the effect of seeing Lancelot on the lady; she stops weaving and looks out her window toward Camelot, bringing about the curse.

Out flew the web and floated wide-

The mirror crack'd from side to side;

"The curse is come upon me," cried

The Lady of Shalott.

She leaves her tower, finds a boat upon which she writes her name, and floats down the river to Camelot. Tennyson writes that she is -

Lying, robed in snowy white That loosely flew to left and right

- a line which complements his description of the death of Elaine in book 7 of Idylls of the King: The Idylls of the King (1856 - 1885) are a cycle of poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson that express the legend of King Arthur in terms of the psychology and concerns of nineteenth-century England. ...

all her bright hair streaming down—

And all the coverlid was cloth of gold

Drawn to her waist, and she herself in white

The Lady of Shalott floats down the river, chanting a "a carol, mournful, holy." She dies before arriving at the palace, and among the knights and ladies who see her is Lancelot.

"Who is this? And what is here?"

And in the lighted palace near

Died the sound of royal cheer;

And they crossed themselves for fear,

All the Knights at Camelot;

But Lancelot mused a little space

He said, "She has a lovely face;

God in his mercy lend her grace,

The Lady of Shalott."

Themes

"In a more general sense, it is fair to say that the pre-Raphaelite fascination with Arthuriana is traceable to Tennyson's work" (Zanzucchi). Tennyson's biographer Leonée Ormonde finds the Arthurian material is "introduced as a valid setting for the study of the artist and the dangers of personal isolation".

Some consider "The Lady of Shalott" to be representative of the dilemma that faces artists, writers, and musicians: to create work about and celebrating the world, or to enjoy the world by simply living in it. Others see the poem as concerned with issues of women's sexuality and their place in the Victorian world. The fact that the poem works through such complex and polyvalent symbolism indicates an important difference between Tennyson's work and his Arthurian source material. While Tennyson's sources tended to work through allegory, Tennyson himself did not. The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... Allegory of Music by Filippino Lippi. ...

Illustrations of the poem

Hunt's Lady of Shalott

Waterhouse's "I Am Half-Sick of Shadows," Said the Lady of Shalott

The poem was particularly popular amongst artists of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who shared Tennyson's interest in Arthuriana; several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood made paintings based on episodes from the poem. Download high resolution version (799x1032, 69 KB)William Holman-Hunt, The Lady of Shalott, painted 1889-1902 The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus... Download high resolution version (799x1032, 69 KB)William Holman-Hunt, The Lady of Shalott, painted 1889-1902 The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus... William Holman Hunt - Self-Portrait. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 433 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (578 × 800 pixel, file size: 118 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) John William Waterhouse - I am half-sick of shadows, said the Lady of Shalott (1916, oil on canvas) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 433 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (578 × 800 pixel, file size: 118 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) John William Waterhouse - I am half-sick of shadows, said the Lady of Shalott (1916, oil on canvas) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot... John William Waterhouse. ... The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets and critics, founded in 1848 by John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt. ...

The 1857 Moxon edition of Tennyson's works was illustrated by William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Hunt depicted the moment when the Lady turns to see Lancelot. Rossetti depicted Lancelot's contemplation of her 'lovely face'. Neither illustration pleased Tennyson, who took Hunt to task for depicting the Lady caught in the threads of her tapestry, something which is not described in the poem. Hunt explained that he wanted to sum up the whole poem in a single image, and that the entrapment by the threads suggested her "weird fate". The scene fascinated Hunt, who returned to the composition at points throughout his life, finally painting a large scale version shortly before his death. He required assistants as he was too frail to complete it himself. This deeply conceived evocation of the Lady, ensnared within the perfect rounds of her woven reality, is an apt illustration of the mythology of the weaving arts. Edward Moxon (1801 - June 3, 1858) was a British poet and publisher. ... William Holman Hunt - Self-Portrait. ... Dante Gabriel Rossetti (May 12, 1828 - April 10, 1882) was an English poet, painter and translator. ... The theme of weaving in mythology is ancient, and its lost mythic lore probably accompanied the early spread of this mysterious art. ...

John William Waterhouse painted three episodes from the poem. In 1888 he painted the Lady setting out for Camelot in her boat; this work is now in the Tate Gallery. In 1894 Waterhouse painted the Lady at the climactic moment when she turns to look at Lancelot in the window; this work is now in the City Art Gallery in Leeds. In 1915 Waterhouse painted "I Am Half-Sick of Shadows," Said the Lady of Shalott, as she sits wistfully before her loom; this work is now in the Art Gallery of Ontario. John William Waterhouse. ... The Tate Gallery in the United Kingdom is a network of four galleries: Tate Britain (opened 1897), Tate Liverpool (1988), Tate St Ives (1993), Tate Modern (2000), with a complementary website Tate Online (1998). ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation). ... The main entrance to the AGO The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is an art museum on the eastern edge of Torontos downtown Chinatown district, on Dundas Street West between McCaul Street and Beverley Street. ...

Elaine arrives at Camelot.

Because of the similarity in the stories, paintings of Elaine of Astolat tend to be very similar to paintings of the Lady of Shalott. The presence of a servant rowing the boat is one aspect that distinguishes them. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 799 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1577 × 1184 pixel, file size: 323 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Lady of Shalott reaches Camelot Unknown artist, prior to 1887. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 799 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1577 × 1184 pixel, file size: 323 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Lady of Shalott reaches Camelot Unknown artist, prior to 1887. ...

Cultural references

• Libba Bray's book A Great and Terrible Beauty has a section of the poem as an introduction and is recited by several characters in the novel.
• Emilie Autumn recorded a song called "Shalott" based on this poem on her album Opheliac.
• Benjamin Robinson uses the John William Waterhouse painting as the inspiration for his lyrics in his song "Faint Transmissions Pt 2 - Lady Of The Lake".
• Loreena McKennitt recorded a fourteen-stanza version of the poem on her album The Visit.
• J.M. Prater directed a video short inspired by the poem, the art of Brian Froud and the painting by John William Waterhouse.^[3]
• The title of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novel The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side comes from the poem, and there are several references to the poem in the novel.
• In the 1985 miniseries Anne of Green Gables, Anne recites the poem in the introduction and in a later scene in which Anne and her friends attempt to recreate the story of Elaine. The novel also includes a reference to the girls having recently studied "the Tennyson poem"; however, it appears from context wow that this poem is not "The Lady of Shalott", but the relevant part of the Idylls of the King. (There are no father and brothers in "The Lady of Shalott", and she is alive when she lays herself in the boat.)
• John Wick's novel No Loyal Knight draws its title from the poem and makes many references to it.
• The poem is recited by Sandy Stranger in Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie for its oratorical content.
• In the film V for Vendetta, V has the painting "The Lady of Shalott" by John William Waterhouse in his home, The Shadow Gallery. It can be seen behind him at one point during the scene when he is fencing his suit of armor.
• Domine recorded a song named "The Lady of Shalott" on their 2007 album Ancient Spirit Rising.
• In Meg Cabot's Avalon High Ellie's mother writes a book on "The Lady of Shalott," and in the beginning of each chapter there is a short excerpt from it.
• In the stage adaptation of Bel Kaufman's Up the Down Staircase, the character young Alice Blake mentions the Lady of Shalott in her monologue about her love for her former English teacher, Paul Barringer.

Libba Bray Libba Bray (born Martha E. Bray on March 11, 1964 in Alabama) is an author of young adult novels, including the books A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels. ... Libba Bray A Great and Terrible Beauty is the first novel in a fantasy trilogy by Libba Bray. ... Emilie Autumn (born September 22, 1979 in Malibu, California) is an American singer-songwriter and violinist, currently living in Chicago. ... Loreena McKennitt live on stage Loreena McKennitt, C.M. (b. ... The Visit is an album by Loreena McKennitt released in 1991. ... Brian Froud (born 1947 in Winchester) is an English fantasy illustrator. ... John William Waterhouse. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), mainly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple Jane Marple, usually known as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christies crime novels. ... This article is about the literary concept. ... The Mirror Crackd from Side to Side (published in 1962), also known just as The Mirror Crackd is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie set in the fictional English village of St. ... Anne of Green Gables is a 1985 television film, based on the novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. ... The Idylls of the King (1856 - 1885) are a cycle of poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson that express the legend of King Arthur in terms of the psychology and concerns of nineteenth-century England. ... John Wick is a 20th and 21st century role-playing game designer best known for his creative contributions to the Alderac Entertainment Group properties Legend of the Five Rings and 7th Sea. ... No Loyal Knight is a 2006 novel by John Wick, published by the Wicked Dead Brewing Company. ... Dame Muriel Spark, DBE (February 1, 1918 – April 13, 2006) was a leading Scottish novelist. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... V for Vendetta is a 2006 action-thriller film set in London, England, United Kingdom in a near-future dystopian society. ... Domine is a power metal band from Italy. ... Meg Cabot (born Meggin Patricia Cabot on February 1, 1967) is an American author of romantic comedies for teens and adults. ... Avalon High is a young adult novel by Meg Cabot, published in 2005. ... Bel Kaufman (born May 10, 1911, in Berlin, Germany) is a Russian-American professor and author. ... Up the Down Staircase is a humorous novel written by Bel Kaufman, and published in 1965. ...

Footnotes

See also

• Weaving (mythology)
• The Princess of the Tide
• Elaine of Astolat

The theme of weaving in mythology is ancient, and its lost mythic lore probably accompanied the early spread of this mysterious art. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wikisource. ... A figure in Arthurian legend, Elaine was the figure of unrequited love later solemnized in Alfred Tennysons poem The Lady of Shalott. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Lady of Shalott

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

The Lady of Shalott

• The complete 1842 poem
• Side-by-side comparison of the 1833 & 1842 versions of Tennyson's poem (provided by The Camelot Project at the University of Rochester)
• The story as found in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur
• "Lancelot and Elaine"
• Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott": an overview (includes e-text)
• Anne Zanzucchi, "Alfred Lord Tennyson"
• Elizabeth Nelson, "The Embowered Woman: Pictorial Interpretations of 'The Lady of Shalott'"
• Why the Lady of Shalott was Cursed by Alice Bowen
• Photo illustration (2006) of Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" by Anja Cazemier
• The Lady of Shalott: an Art Appreciation Project.