{ l < 2)
h n Alfr d T nnyson le rn d ch t Lord W Byron h d di d while h lplng Gr ek n t1on 11st r b Is, h went to the woods and rv d on a pl ce of sandstone, "Byron Is d d." T nnyson was fourteen y ars old. He f It sure that he would be a poet, and he was lready practicing the dramatic gestures of the Caricature of Alfred, Lord Tennyson Romantic poets he admired. ( 1872) by Frederick Waddy. Tennyson's father, a clergyman of good fam ily but little money, encouraged young Alfred's interest in poetry. At Cambridge University reviewed, and in 1845 the government granted Alfred joined a group of young intellectuals, him an annual pension of two hundred pounds. called the Apostles, who believed that their In 1850, he published In Memoriam, an elegy to friend was destined to become the greatest Hallam that was immediately successful. It tells poet of their generation. the story of his own recovery of faith in the In 183 I, when his father died, lack of funds immortality of the soul and of the harmony of forced Tennyson to leave Cambridge, and he creation- despite the new, unsettling discov entered a troubled period. In 1832, he pub eries of science and his deep sense of the un lished his first significant book of poems, which fairness of Hallam's death. That year, he was some reviewers mocked for its melancholy named poet laureate (after Wordsworth's themes and weak imitations of Keats's lan death), and he finally married. guage. The next year Tennyson was devastated In the forty years before his death in 1892, by the death of his closest friend, Arthur Henry Tennyson published nearly a dozen volumes of Hallam. He became engaged to marry in 1836, poems. His books sold like bestselling novels but the marriage was postponed for fourteen and made him rich. In 1884, he was made a years because of his uncertain financial peer of the realm and became Alfred, Lord prospects. Tennyson. During this difficult period, when both his Tennyson never lost the melancholy and physical and mental health suffered, Tennyson sense of chaos that friends and reviewers apparently never considered any career but found in his early poems. He was immensely poetry. He polished his style to develop the popular with his contemporaries because he melodious line and rich imagery of poems like spoke in a beautiful, measured language of "The Lady of Shalon." Tennyson published their sense of the fragility and sadness of life. almost nothing in his "ten years' silence" from He also assured his readers that his own 1832 to 1842, but the friends to whom he read experience of sadness and disorder had taught his poems remained convinced of his promise. him that everything was part of a benevolent Gradually, Tennyson began to make his way. plan in which eventually all losses would be The two-volume Poems ( 1842) was favorably made good.
The Victorian Period Lady of Shalott
M k the Connection Qulckwrlte Word music is created when a One of the main symbols in chis dreamlike poet uses a variety of elements such ballad is a mirror that the Lady uses as she as meter, rhyme, alliteration, and weaves. Watch for how the mirror, with its assonance to generate an overall reflected images, stands in opposition co the musical quality in a work. real world. This Is only one opposition, or For more on Meter, Rhyme, Alliteration, tension, in the world of the Lady of Shalon, and Assonance, see the Handbook of of whom Tennyson said: "The newborn love Uterary and Historical Terms. for something, for someone in the wide world from which she had been so long secluded, takes her out of the region of shadows into that of realities." Reading Sktlls ~ What might Tennyson have meant by "the region of shadows" and the region of Identifying Contrasting Images "realities"? Joe down a few ideas. "The Lady of Shalott" is brimming with contrasting images: the flat, flow ing river Literary Focus and the upright, unchanging cower; the Word Music bustling lives of the villagers and the solitary Ballads were originally songs. and indeed, life of the Lady; the weary whisper of the Tennyson's ballad "The Lady of Shalott" al reaper and the robust song of Si r Lancelot. most begs co be sung. Its rhythms, cadences, As you read the poem, be alert co such and echoes are so strong chat the ballad oppositions- the large and the small- in creates what is known as word music. setting, actions, or imagery. Record the first Word music is created by the expert use of example of each that you notice. Then, meter and by the regular and repetitive use when Sir Lancelot appears in Part Ill, jot of such elements as rhyme, alliteration, down at least one other contrast chat and assonance. Working together, these he introduces. elements create an overall musical effect in a poem. Background Be sure you read this poem aloud co hear Tennyson wrote "The Lady of Sha Iott" in the famous music of Tennyson's language. 1832 and then extensively revised it in 1842. The first time you read the poem, enjoy the He once commented: "I met the story first In rhythmical power of the verse. On subse some Italian novelle: but the web, mirror, quent readings, try to identify the individual island, etc., were my own." The symbol of elements that contribute co the poem's Arthur's Camelot-an orderly, patriarchal musical quality. kingdom in which beautiful, enchanted For many years, students in both England women languish-appealed to Tennyson, and and the United States could recite the mys to the Viaorlan Imagination In general. Ten terious story of the Lady of Shalott from nyson would return to this setting In such ...... " ~J memory. You might cry to memorize the works as "Lancelot and Elaine" and the Idylls ... Analyze we entire poem or parts of it. ofthe King, a series of twelve connected which poetS poems telling the story of King Arthur and sounds to .voke rHd the Knights of the Round Table. emotion,.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson 191 696 The Victorian Period DY OF ALOTT~
Altred, Lord Tennyson
Part I neither ide the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye, Thal clothe the wold0 and meel the ky; 3. wo.ld 11.: roJJing plain. And through the field the road run by 5 To many-lowered amelot;0 5. Camelot: legendary city, And up and down the people go, iLe of King Arthur' court and Round Table. azing where the lilie blow0 Round an i land there below, 7. blow v.: blos om. The i land of halott.
10 Willows whiten,0 a pen quiver, IO. whiten v.: show the white Li llie breezes du k and shiver UJ1dersides of their leaves Through the wave that runs forever when blown by Lh e wind. By the island in the river Flowing down to amelot. 15 Fourgraywall ,andfourgray towers, Overlook a space of flowers, And tJ1e ilent isle imbower 0 17. imbowe.rs 11. pl.: shelters The Lady of halotl. with tree , gardens, and nowers. By the margin, willow-veiled, 20 Slide the heavy barges trailed By slow horses; and un.hailed The hallop0 flitteth iJken-sailed 22. shallop n.: small, open Skimming down to Ca melo t: boal. But who hath seen her wave her hand? 25 rat the casement een her stand ? r i she known in all the land, The Lady of ha Iott?
nly reapers, reaping ea rly ln among the bearded barley,
Alfred, Lord Tennyson 697 Tltt Lady of /J Jou (c 18 6- I 90S) by Wllll.lm Holm n Hun 011
10 11 ·.it ,1 ,ong th.it echo ~ hecrly" I 1om the river winding clearly, Down to tow red am lo t; nd b the moon the reaper weary, Piling ,hc,we, in uplands airy, ,~ l.i,tening, whi,per '" i the fairy Lad) of halott."
fart II Ther she weaves by n ight and day m.igic web with colo rs gay. he ha hec1rd a whisper ay, O A cure i on her if she tay To look down to amelo t. he know not what the cur e may be, And so he weaveth steadily, 30. cheerly adv.: archaic fo r And littJe other care hath he, "cheerily." 4S The La dy of halotl.
0 And movin g tJ1 rough a mirror clear 46. mirror dear: Weavers That hang before her all the year, worked on the back of the tap hadow of tJ1 e world appear. estry so that they could easily There she ee the highway near knot their yarns. To ee the front of their designs, weaver 50 Winding down to Camelot; looked in a mirror that re There the river eddy whirl , flected the front of the tapestry. And there the surly viUage churls,0 52. churls 11. pl.: peasants; And the red cloaks of market girls, country folk. Pass onward from halott.
55 ometimes a troop of dam els glad , 0 An abbot on an ambling pad, 56. pad 11.: easy-gaitedhor e. Sometim es a curly shepherd lad, Or long-haired page in crimson clad, Goes by to towered Camelot; 60 And sometimes through the mirror blue The knights come riding two and two: he hath no loyal knight and true, The Lady of Shalott.
But in her web she still delights 65 To weave the mirror's magic sights, For often through the silent nigh ts A funeral, with plumes and lights
698 • I • t The Victorian Period rtlll
75 76. greaves n. pl.: armor for the lower leg . 78. red-cross knight: The red cro is the emblem of Saint 80 George, England's patron ainL
mmy" bridl glitter d fre , 82. gemmy adj.: set with jewels. · e to ome branch of tar we ee Hu ng in the gold n nla .0 84. Galaxy: Mill U in the blue unclouded weather Thick-jeweled shone the saddle leather, The helmet and the helmet feather Burned like one burning flame together, As he rode down to Camelot; A often through the purple night, Below the starry dusters bright, ome bearded meteor, trailing light, Moves over still Shalott. Joo His broad clear brow in sunlight glowed; On burnjshed0 _hooves bis war horse trode; 101. bu.r,ushed adj.: polished. From underneath his helmet flowed His coaJ·black curls as on be rode, & he to~ down to Camelot. IOS Prom the bank and from the river He Bashed into the crystal .rnirro,, Tim lim,•by the river uncelot Alfred •. Lo.rd Tennyson 699 he ldt th web, h left th lo m, 11 0 Shl· m,ide thrc pace through th ro m, hl• ,. w the waterlily bloom, hl· aw the helm t and th plum , he looked down to Camelot. ( ut flrn the web and floated wide; 11 s The mirror ra ked from ide to id ; u,I he cur~e i\ come upon me," ried rh I ady of halott. I rt J In the tormy ea t wind training, Th pale yellow wood were waning, 110 The broad tream in h1 ban complaining, Hea,·ily the low ky raining 0 er towered amelot; Down he came and found a boat Beneath a willow left afloat, 125. pro n .. front pan of a boaL 125 nd round about the pro, he, rote 128. eer n.: prophet. The Lady of halott. nd do, n the river' dim expan e Like ome bold eer0 in a trance, e ing all hi own mischance uo \'\'ith a gla y countenance Did he look to Camelot. nd at the do ing of the day he loo ed the chain, and down he lay; The broad trearn bore her far away, 135 The Lady of halo tt. Lying, robed in no, white Thal loo ely flew to left and right The leave upon her falling light Through the noi es of the night 140 he floated down to Camelot; And as the boat head wound along The willowy hill and field among, They heard her singing her last ong, The Lady of halott. 145 Heard a carol, mournful, holy, hantcd loudly, chanted Jowl , Till her blood was frozen 10\ ly, And her eye were darkened wholly, Turn d to towered Camelot. The Lady of Shalon { 19th cenw ry) by John W illiam Wuerhouse. 700 The Victorian Period 1 1 Im l"fl'.' hr r ~ h..J upon 1hr 1,J I h,· hr I houlot' h) lh watcrnJ • \tn1111111111 hrr ,on~ h<' lli<'J, Thc I Jy of h Iott. l lnJ r tower ,tnd ti.kony, Ry g.uJrn w,111 .anll gallrr , A 11lc,11111ng ,hap , hl· llodltd hy, I t'ad I' lc ol"lwrcn 1he hollln high, \ tll'nl inlo Camelot. ut upon lhc wharf\ thry cam , IN> Knighl .ind burghcr,0 lord ,ind d m , t 60. bur r rt.; son. nd round tlw prow th y re d h r nam , T/1 Lody of. halo/I. nd in the light <'d palace n r It,\ Died the ~ound of royal che r: nd th y ro~sed th m elvc~ fo r Ci ar, All the knights a l am lot: Uul La ne lot mus d o little spa ; He ~aid, "She has n lovely fa : 110 God in hi men:, lend her gra , Th Lady of halott." LC INFORMATIONAL · MATERIALS · Escaping a World of Shadows scene with a tapestried grace that quietly Readers may differ In their interprecatlons of captures the romantic heart of the Age of the meaning o r moral of the simple story Chivalry. The Lady is appropriately beautiful, this richly ornamented and carefully wrought wan, sequestered, and mysterious. Sir poem tells. As you learned before you read Lancelot, panoplied to the hilt with every the poem, no one should disregard the clue object in the book of heraldry, is less a man offered by Tennyson himself: "The newborn than a vision of a man. And Camelot itself, love fo r something." he said of the Lady of "many-towered," exists like a little city Shaloa, "for someone In the wide world afloat In time. from which she had been so long secluded, The "mirror clear" in line 46 is crucial cakes her out of the region of shadows into both to the poem's narrative line and to its that of realities." He Is referring particularly meaning. In the custom of weavers, the Lady to the last lines of Part II when, having has placed this mirror in a spot facing the watched a young bride and ,groom in tt,e loom from which she is able to see at a moonlight, the Lady declares that she is "half glance how her work is going. But, for the sick of shadows." purposes of the story, the more important Like the weaving that perpetually occupies function of the mirror is to allow the Lady the herolne-"A m~glc web with colors glimpses or "shadows" of the world in which gay"-the narratlve moves from scene to she takes no part. Atfrad, Lord Tennyson 701 n nay • I, Dn In rp OM Compare d'111 JCenano to what occurs 4. Summariu: the main events m the plot m the last stanza of the ven1on you've of this nan-auve poem What moment just read. What do you think of Tenny 1 mar1u th poem's climax' son's reV1St0n Which endtng do you find more moving' Explain. S. Potnt out Im ai , of duil1ng t USOClated with Sir Lancelot m Part IU W Ing Ftnd contruttnc lma1es usoc11ted Stlaclows net Realfty With the Lady What do you think T nn)'IOll 1s trymg to achl ve through In a short enay, analyxe the theme of "The Lady of Shalon " ,n light or Ten this contrUt' R i to your r ding Lady: notes nyson's comment about the "The newborn love for so mething. for someone 6. Explain why l1n 6 could n In the wide world from which she had for shadow, or htnt at. Lancelot's b en so long secluded, takes her out of the arrival and the Lady's acoons in the region of shadows Into that of realities." ,econd half of the poem. What yearning Before you begin, gamer deta.lls for your do you think the Lady expresses when analysis n a chart like the one that fo llows: she exclaims. "I am half sick of shad ows" (line 71 )I Wh,it ~ilppt'ftt, 7. How does Tennyson contr'Ut: the '" U·,, DOe'ff'I Lady's life with the hves of the villagers Y-ry wori:19 and court 1n Camelot! Do you think 11.ey ,ma.:,e!> that Tennyson Indicates a preference l\.ey p.il!j~agM for any of these ways of life! Explaln...... s ,gnific;ance ...... 3.3 8. Scan the poem to Ond Its metrical ot comment Ari•lv1e the form and rhyme scheme. Then, WIY, or, which (!Ill<: above) locate examples of alliteration and as the ,uthor's Theme of poem style and the sonance that contribute to the poem's •,our,d " of haunting strains. How do these exam language Be sure to check your Quk kwrite notes as 1di1eve ~1f,c ples of word music make you (eel! aeuhet1c you decide what Tennyson means by "the ...... purposes. region or shadows" and "that of reallijes." , S....._.3.4 Analyn ways in wh1eh poeu use sounds to evoke readers' emotions. 702 The Victorian Period