lady of shallot
... English 27 January 2003 The Lady of Shalott Alfred Tennyson frequently diverged from the typical use of allusion by spawning entirely original poems based on well known characters from mythology or classical literature. One of his most famous poems, ‘The Lady of Shalott’ reflects his interest in the legends affiliated to the court of King Arthur; the background story here involves not only a young women’s love for Sir lancelot- King Arthur’s foremost knight- but also Sir Lancelot’s culpable love for the King’s wife, Queen Quinevere. ... The lady’s world is a curse, she may not look at the “real” world through her own eyes, but must only see it reflected in a mirror. ... Or perhaps it represents the sense of living in an age of contradictory and opposing forces; in this case, the lady is torn between the love of one man and the ideal world she is cursed to dwell in for all eternity. ... ” (Part II, Lines 46-50) To the Sechler 2 Lady the Legend of Camelot is almost as real as world peace.