Literary Devices Literary Devices    

Lesson 28: Allusion: The Lady of Shalott

by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Performer: Librivox - Elin


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.



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.



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?



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."



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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 river

Sang Sir Lancelot.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



Under tower and balcony,

By garden-wall and gallery,

A gleaming shape she floated by,

Dead-pale 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.



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."

    Literary Devices Literary Devices    

Lesson 28: Allusion: The Lady of Shalott

by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Performer: Librivox - Elin

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read or listen to the poem.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Read about the poet.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.

Synopsis

Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem, 'The Lady of Shalott,' alludes to the medieval mythological tales of King Arthur and his castle and court of Camelot. In Arthurian legend, a woman named Elaine is smitten with Sir Lancelot, one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. When Elaine confesses her love, Sir Lancelot rejects her. Dying from a broken heart, Elaine instructs her father to float her body on a river barge to Camelot. When her body arrives, Sir Lancelot is grieved. However, he does not regret refusing Elaine's advances because he does not love her. Although featuring similar characters, the poem differs from the traditional tale. In the poem version, 'The Lady of Shalott' is imprisoned on the Isle of Shalott, which sits in the midst of a river flowing to Camelot. The Lady of Shalott is forced to spin a magic web and will be cursed if she looks at Camelot. She can only view shadowy reflections of Camelot and its people through a magical mirror. One day, the Lady of Shalott spots Sir Lancelot floating by on the river. She falls so deeply in love with him that she looks at Camelot and is cursed. Knowing she is cursed, she lies in a barge and floats down the river to Camelot. By the time she reaches Camelot, she's perished from the cold. Sir Lancelot sees her and remarks, 'She has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace, The Lady of Shalott.'

Concepts

Poets often use literary devices, defined as 'rules of thumb, convention, or structure that are employed in literature and storytelling.'

The nine literary devices we'll study include:

  1. Rhyming
  2. Alliteration
  3. Similes
  4. Metaphors
  5. Personification
  6. Foreshadowing
  7. Allusion
  8. Hyperbole
  9. Onomatopoeia

Allusion is a literary device whereby an author makes a reference to something supposed to be known, but not explicitly mentioned.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite Poem Information

Recite the title of the poem and the name of the poet.

Activity 2: Study the Poem Picture

Study the poem picture and describe how it relates to the poem. How does the image differ from the poem?

Activity 3: Recite the Poem

Practice reciting the poem aloud.

Only recite/discuss part a day due to the length of the poem.

Activity 4: Identify Allusions in the Examples

Read aloud the examples below and identify the allusions.

  • I can't find her anywhere. I guess she put on Harry's invisibility cloak. (Harry Potter)
  • The heavens swirled more brightly than in 'The Starry Night.' (Vincent Van Gogh Painting of the night sky.)
  • You might want to rethink your actions. You don't want to open Pandora's box. (Greek/Roman Mythology)
  • To the shock of the other kids, the smaller boy defeated the bully, like David triumphing over Goliath. (The Bible)

Activity 5: Identify the Rhyme Scheme

Review the poem and identify the pattern of its rhyming scheme. (e.g. ABBACDCD, etc.)

Activity 6: Identify Alliteration

Review the poem and point out any instances of alliteration.

Activity 7: Identify Similes

  • Review the poem excerpts and identify any similes.
  • Name the pairs of elements that the similes compare.

Activity 8: Identify Foreshadowing

Review the poem excerpt. How does it foreshadow the future?

  • 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,

Activity 9: Identify the Allusions

Review the poem excerpts and identify any allusions.

  • To many-tower'd Camelot;
  • The knights come riding two and two:
  • 'Tirra lirra,' by the river - Sang Sir Lancelot.
  • She loosed the chain, and down she lay; - The broad stream bore her far away,
  • Till her blood was frozen slowly, - And her eyes were darken'd wholly,
  • A gleaming shape she floated by, - Dead-pale between the houses high, - Silent into Camelot.
  • And they cross'd themselves for fear, - All the knights at Camelot:

Activity 10: Complete Book Activities   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete pages 85-87 of 'Elementary Poetry 5: Literary Devices.'

References

  1. 'Allusion.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.