The Lady of Shalot

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The lady of Shallot “The Lady of Shallot” written by lord Alfred Tennyson, is a ballad which tells the story of the mysterious Lady of shallot, who is unkown to the world but is always observing from her high tower. Much of the poem’s charm stems from its sense of mystery and elusiveness; of course, these aspects also complicate the task of analysis. That said, most scholars understand “The Lady of Shalott” to be about the conflict between art and life. The Lady, who weaves her magic web and sings her song in a remote tower, can be seen to represent the contemplative artist isolated from the bustle and activity of daily life. Just like the Lady who is forever cooped up in her castle, artists too live in a world of their own, one they have created in their minds, and this world is their prison of sorts. They do not mingle with society, they only look upon the world through their imagination and portray it in their art. The moment the Lady sets her art aside to gaze down on the real world, a curse befalls her and she meets her tragic death. The poem thus captures the conflict between an artist’s desire for social involvement and his/her doubts about whether such a commitment is viable for someone dedicated to art. The poem may also express a more personal dilemma for Tennyson as a specific artist: while he felt an obligation to seek subject matter outside the world of his own mind and his own immediate experiences—to comment on politics, history, or a more general humanity—he also feared that this expansion into broader territories might destroy his poetry’s magic. The poem seems to suggest that artists must remain in aloof detachment, they must view life only through their mirror of imagination, but must not mingle with life directly. This is the seeming curse upon all artists, be it writers, musicians or painters; they must lead secluded lives, detached from the

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