The Lady of Shalott

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The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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The Lady of Shalottby Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Part I On either side the river lie Long fields
of barley and of rye
Part II There she weaves by night and day A
magic web with colours gay
Part III A bow-shot from her bower-eaves, He
rode between the barley-sheaves
Part IV In the stormy east-wind straining, The
pale-yellow woods were waning,
glossary
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Part I. On either side the river lie Long
fields of barley and of rye, That clothe the
wold and meet the sky And thro' the field the
road runs by To many-tower'd Camelot And up
and down the people go, Gazing where the lilies
blow Round an island there below, The island of
Shalott.
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Willows whiten, aspens quiver, Little breezes
dusk and shiver Thro' the wave that runs for
ever By the island in the river Flowing down to
Camelot. Four gray walls, and four gray towers,
Overlook a space of flowers, And the silent
isle imbowers The Lady of Shalott.
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By the margin, willow-veil'd Slide the heavy
barges trail'd By slow horses and unhail'd The
shallop flitteth silken-sail'd Skimming down to
Camelot But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand? Or is she
known in all the land, The Lady of Shalott?
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Only reapers, reaping early In among the bearded
barley, Hear a song that echoes cheerly From
the river winding clearly, Down to tower'd
Camelot And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy, Listening,
whispers Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott."
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Part II. There she weaves by night and day A
magic web with colours gay. She has heard a
whisper say, A curse is on her if she stay To
look down to Camelot. She knows not what the
curse may be, And so she weaveth steadily, And
little other care hath she, The Lady of Shalott.
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And moving thro' a mirror clear That hangs
before her all the year, Shadows of the world
appear. There she sees the highway near Winding
down to Camelot There the river eddy whirls,
And there the surly village-churls, And the red
cloaks of market girls, Pass onward from Shalott.
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Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, An abbot on
an ambling pad, Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad,
Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad, Goes by to
tower'd Camelot And sometimes thro' the mirror
blue The knights come riding two and two She
hath no loyal knight and true, The Lady of
Shalott.
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But in her web she still delights To weave the
mirror's magic sights, For often thro' the
silent nights A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot Or when the moon
was overhead, Came two young lovers lately wed
"I am half-sick of shadows," said The Lady of
Shalott.
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Part III. A bow-shot from her bower-eaves, He
rode between the barley-sheaves, The sun came
dazzling thro' the leaves, And flamed upon the
brazen greaves Of bold Sir Lancelot. A red
cross knight for ever kneel'd To a lady in his
shield, That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott.
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The gemmy bridle glitter'd free, Like to some
branch of stars we see Hung in the golden
Galaxy. The bridle-bells rang merrily As he
rode down to Camelot And from his blazon'd
baldric slung A mighty silver bugle hung, And
as he rode his armour rung, Beside remote
Shalott.
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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. As often
thro' the purple night, Below the starry
clusters bright, Some bearded meteor, trailing
light, Moves over still Shalott.
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His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd On
burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode From
underneath his helmet flow'd His coal-black
curls as on he rode, As he rode down to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river He flash'd
into the crystal mirror, "Tirra lirra," by the
riverSang Sir Lancelot.
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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 look'd down to Camelot. 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.
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Part IV. In the stormy east-wind straining, The
pale-yellow woods were waning, The broad stream
in his banks complaining, Heavily the low sky
raining Over tower'd Camelot Down she came and
found a boat Beneath a willow left afloat, And
round about the prow she wrote The Lady of
Shalott.
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And down the river's dim expanse Like some
bold seër in a trance, Seeing all his own
mischance With a glassy countenance Did she
look to Camelot. And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay The
broad stream bore her far away, The Lady of
Shalott.
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Lying, robed in snowy white That loosely flew to
left and right The leaves upon her falling
light- Thro' the noises of the night She floated
down to Camelot And as the boat-head wound
along The willowy hills and fields among, They
heard her singing her last song, The Lady of
Shalott.
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Heard a carol, mournful, holy, Chanted loudly,
chanted lowly, Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her eyes were darken'd wholly, Turn'd to
tower'd Camelot For ere she reach'd upon the
tide The first house by the water-side, Singing
in her song she died, The Lady of Shalott.
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Under tower and balcony, By garden-wall and
gallery, A gleaming shape she floated by, A
corse between the houses high, Silent into
Camelot. Out upon the wharfs they came, Knight
and burgher, lord and dame, And round the prow
they read her name, The Lady of Shalott.
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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,
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."
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End
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Facts about Alfred Lord TennysonGiven name
Alfred Lord Family name TennysonBirth date 6
August 1809 Death date 6 October
1892Nationality EnglishFamily relations     
    father George Clayton Tennyson         
mother Elizabeth Tennyson          wife Emily
Tennyson (from 13 June 1850)          brother
Frederick Tennyson          brother Charles
Tennyson-Turner          sister Emily
Tennyson          sister Mary Tennyson       
  son Hallam Tennyson          son Lionel
TennysonLanguage EnglishEducation         
Grammar school at Louth 1816 to 1820         
Trinity College, Cambridge February 1828 to
February 1831Honours          Chancellor's
medal for English verse June 1829         
Poet-laureate April 1850          Honorary
fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge 1869
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Literary period RomanticLived at         
Chapel House, Montpelier Row, Twickenham       
  Somersby, North Lincolnshire 6 August 1809 to
1816          Louth 1816 to 1820         
Somersby 1820          High Beech, Epping
Forest 1837 to 1840          Tunbridge Wells
1840 to 1841          Boxley, near Maidstone
1841          Aldworth, near Haslemere
1868Illnesses          Hypochondria         
Rheumatic gout 1888          Influenza 1890 to
1891Cause of death Fatal syncopeBuried at
Westminster Abbey
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Glossaryabbot head of an abbey or
monasteryaspens a poplar treebaldric a belt
from shoulder to hipblazond decorated,
colourfulbower poetic word for bedroombrazen
made from brassbridle horses head strapburgher
citizen of a townburnishd polishedcasement
windowchurls old word for peasant or
bad-manneredcountenance facial expressioncorse
corpse, dead bodydamsels maidens, young
womeneaves lower overhanging part of roofeddy
small whirlpool in water
flitteth moves about rapidlygemmy set with gems
or jewelsgreaves armour for lower legimbowers
plume featherprow the front of a boatreapers
someone who cuts cornseer prophet, someone who
sees visionsshallop light open boatsheaves
bundle of newly gathered cornwaning decreasing
in strengthwharfs berth where a boat or ship can
tie upwillows graceful trees that grow bending
down near water wold expanse of countryside
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wold expanse of countryside
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willows graceful trees that grow bending down
near water aspens a poplar tree imbowers
encloses with branches
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shallop light open boat flitteth moves about
rapidly casement window
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reapers people who cut corn sheaves bundles of
newly gathered corn
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eddy small whirlpool in water churls old word
for peasant or bad-mannered person
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damsels maidens, young women abbot head of an
abbey or monastery ambling pad walking slowly
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plumes feathers
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bower poetic word for bedroom eaves lower
overhanging part of roof brazen made from
brass greaves armour for lower leg
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gemmy set with gems or jewels bridle horses
head strap blazond decorated,
colourful baldric a belt from shoulder to hip
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burnishd polished
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plume feather
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waning decreasing in strength prow the front
of a boat
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seer prophet, someone who sees visions countenan
ce facial expression
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corse corpse, dead body burgher citizen of a
town
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corse corpse, dead body burgher citizen of a
town
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