Repetition In Lady Of Shalott

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Repetition lies in the atmosphere of several poems by Tennyson. For instance, his use of repetition heightens the emotional and enigmatic impact of both Mariana and Lady of Shalott, although it is probably used much more in the former of the two. The most evident use of repetition in Lady of Shalott is the mentioning of both the cities of Camelot and Shalott in the 5th and 9th line of each stanza. This example is not simply used just to emphasize on the importance of both these locations to the poem, but also contributes to the rhyme scheme and in my opinion, adds to the flow. The repetition of the mentioned words remind the reader that the Lady of Shalott is bound to despondent isolation, but at the same time, is mocked by the surrounding…show more content…
Whereas Part II makes reference to all the different types of people that the Lady sees through her mirror, including the knights who “come riding two and two”, Part III focuses on one particular knight who captures the Lady’s attention: Sir Lancelot. Both “night” and “day” are repeated several times to show the passage of time and to achieve pathetic fallacy on the emotions of the Lady of Shalott. For example, “Thro’ the noises of the night” reflects the dark mood the poem is currently in (because of the gradually dying Lady). Other instances of repetition include “bearded” which is used twice to personify inanimate objects, and “light” which is used to illustrate happiness. Compared to Mariana, Lady of Shalott uses much less repetition. By my reasoning, the poem Mariana is built on Tennyson’s use of “echo”. The following lines are repeated (with slight…show more content…
For example, in stanza 2, instead of saying “My life is dreary”, Tennyson replaces it with “The night is dreary”. However the rest of it is the same (with the exception of the last stanza). The refrain of the poem functions like an incantation, which contributes to the atmosphere of enchantment. It highlights her dull, bleak and melancholy life. Moreover, it features her longing for courage to face death. It also overlaps use of personification and pathetic fallacy on the surroundings to illustrate despondency and seclusion. The repetition, along with the aforementioned reasons, is used to literally bore the reader. At a deeper level Tennyson wants us to feel what Mariana feels: boredom. Another instance of significant repetition includes the reference to the poplar tree. On one level, the poplar can be interpreted as a phallic symbol: the shadow of the poplar falls on Mariana’s bed when she is lovesick at night, suggesting sexual hunger for her absent lover. On another level, however, the poplar is a symbol of a disloyal lover and his broken promise (in
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