"The Lady of Shalott" (poem)

E185161

"The Lady of Shalott" is an 1832–1842 narrative poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson that reimagines the Arthurian legend of Elaine of Astolat, focusing on a cursed woman isolated in a tower who can only view the world through a mirror.

All labels observed (9)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf narrative poem ⓘ
poem ⓘ
author Alfred, Lord Tennyson ⓘ
basedOn Arthurian legend ⓘ
Elaine of Astolat ⓘ
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom ⓘ
criticalReception widely anthologized and frequently studied in English literature courses ⓘ
featuresCharacter Sir Lancelot ⓘ
the Lady of Shalott ⓘ
firstPublishedIn a volume of poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in 1832 ⓘ
form lyric ballad ⓘ
genre Arthurian poetry ⓘ
romantic poetry ⓘ
hasVersion 1832 version ⓘ
1842 revised version ⓘ
influenced Pre-Raphaelite visual art ⓘ
linked to: Pre-Raphaelite art

later Victorian interpretations of Arthurian legend ⓘ
paintings by John William Waterhouse ⓘ
language English ⓘ
literaryPeriod Victorian literature ⓘ
meter primarily iambic tetrameter with variations ⓘ
motif mirror imagery ⓘ
river journey ⓘ
weaving and tapestry ⓘ
notableLine "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. ⓘ
originalPublicationYear 1832 ⓘ
plotEvent After the curse is triggered, the Lady leaves her tower, finds a boat, and writes her name on it. ⓘ
The Lady of Shalott dies while drifting down the river to Camelot in the boat. ⓘ
The Lady of Shalott sees Sir Lancelot reflected in her mirror and turns to look directly toward Camelot, breaking the curse. ⓘ
The people of Camelot and Sir Lancelot see her body in the boat and react with awe and pity. ⓘ
plotSummary A cursed woman lives isolated in a tower near Camelot and can only view the world through a mirror as she weaves a magic web. ⓘ
refrain "The Lady of Shalott" ⓘ
revisedFor Tennyson's 1842 Poems collection ⓘ
revisedVersionYear 1842 ⓘ
rhymeScheme regular stanzaic rhyme scheme with refrain ⓘ
setting Camelot ⓘ
linked to: King Arthur's court

an island in a river near Camelot ⓘ
structure four parts ⓘ
symbol the boat symbolizes the passage from life to death ⓘ
the mirror symbolizes mediated reality and artistic distance ⓘ
the web symbolizes artistic creation ⓘ
theme art versus life ⓘ
curse and fate ⓘ
female confinement ⓘ
isolation ⓘ
the power of visual perception ⓘ
unrequited love ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (14)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

The Lady of Shalott (painting) → inspiredBy → "The Lady of Shalott" (poem) ⓘ
subject linked to: The Lady of Shalott
The Lady of Shalott (painting) → depicts → The Lady of Shalott (character) ⓘ
subject linked to: The Lady of Shalott
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
The Lady of Shalott (painting) → portraysCharacterFromWork → "The Lady of Shalott" (poem) ⓘ
subject linked to: The Lady of Shalott
Alfred, Lord Tennyson → notableWork → The Lady of Shalott ⓘ
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
The Lady of Shalott → featuresCharacter → the Lady of Shalott ⓘ
subject linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
The Lady of Shalott → refrain → "The Lady of Shalott" ⓘ
subject linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
The Lady of Shalott → plotEvent → The Lady of Shalott dies while drifting down the river to Camelot in the boat. ⓘ
subject linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
Poems: North & South—A Cold Spring → hasPart → poem "The Gentleman of Shalott" ⓘ
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
Elaine of Astolat → appearsIn → The Lady of Shalott ⓘ
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
Elaine of Astolat → alias → The Lady of Shalott ⓘ
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
Elaine of Astolat → influencedWork → Alfred Tennyson’s poem "The Lady of Shalott" ⓘ
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
Tennyson's 1842 Poems collection → containsWork → The Lady of Shalott (revised version) ⓘ
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
Poems (1842) → hasPart → The Lady of Shalott (revised version) ⓘ
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)
Poems (1842) → hasRevisedVersionsOf → The Lady of Shalott ⓘ
linked to: "The Lady of Shalott" (poem)