We didn't get a chance to discuss this in class, so why don't you talk to one another about poetic devices that make this poem work? Consider the abundance of sound devices and meter/rhythm and rhyme choices which make the poem so pretty!
9 Comments
Tyler Ellefson
1/13/2015 05:04:52 am
One think I noticed after reading "The Lady of Shalott" is the nice flow it has. The ballad has a rhyme scheme of AAAA,B,CCC,B and with the many rhymes, a nice rhythm is formed making it very enjoyable to read. Anyone else feel the same way? I also noticed that with the unique meter, Tennyson uses both enjambment and anastophe to make the ballad work. Other devices I noticed were anaphora throughout repeating phrases such as "Lady of Shalott" and "Camelot" and lots of imagery.
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Hank Larson
1/13/2015 05:19:00 am
Lord Tennyson uses several colors as symbols in part three of Lady of Shalott. Some colors that pop up as symbols are yellow and gold representing the fields and stars in the sky, along with the sunlight glowing. The feathers of Sir Lancelot's helmet are described as burnin flames, and Sir Lancelot's hair is described as coal-black. I think the colors of yellow and gold are uses to show the pure and beauty of the country side along with the beauty and innocence of the Lady of Shalott. I believe fire and black are used to depict Sir Lancelot to show that he is a temptation. He may look good on the outside but deep down he represents temptation and evil in the world. His good looks draw the Lady of Shalott out of her tower, which ends up killing her.
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Jared Fogarty
1/14/2015 07:29:41 am
"The Lady of Shalott" tends to flow so easily because of its scheme of successive rhyming lines. The AAAABCCCB form gives the poem a melodious sound that agrees with a lot of the imagery that is presented. Tennyson's use of enjambment also helps to keep the swift pace of the poem going.
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Sara King
1/14/2015 11:23:25 pm
I agree with Jared in that it flows easily because of its scheme of rhyming lines. I also think that the symbolism in "The Lady of Shalott" helps create this poem into the meaningful poem that it is. A lot of symbols are used such as the web, which I think symbolizes isolation and is a constant reminder of what she can never have. Many symbols are used throughout this "The Lady of Shalott."
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Tyler Ellefson
1/15/2015 02:16:57 am
I agree, there are a ton of symbols throughout the poem. I couple I noticed were Lancelot and the mirror. Lancelot may represent temptation in that the Lady wants to leave the tower, even if she must die, just to see him. It is said that the knight also has black hair further symbolizing the dark, underlying nature of his character. Another symbol I found was in the mirror, as it represents the different perspective the Lady looked through her entire life. As a result, the Lady's prespective of the world was not actually how it seemed but instead far different. The Lady remarked how everything in Camelot was beautiful and colorful and even the funeral processions were great. In reality, however, the world was really boring and plain and what she was seeing through the mirror was really just a distorted version of reality. The many symbols of the poem really function to further the underlying meaning of the poem. 1/15/2015 01:53:12 am
I think that imagery was very important in this poem. Even while describing the shadowy world that The Lady of Shalott sees through her mirror, the author is very thorough. We are able to picture this poem in better detail which helps us to better understand it on a deeper level.
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Aidan Manley
1/15/2015 10:54:08 pm
Tennyson distinctly never used any imagery to describe the Lady of Shalott though. He vividly describes everything around her, like the web and Lancelot and what she sees, but he never actually describes her other than telling us she is a woman and that she is wearing white. Why do you think this is?
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Mitchell Johnson
1/17/2015 10:15:30 am
Although the plot isn't considered a device I believe that it had impact on how pretty and interesting this poem is. The lovely maiden trapped in a castle, a terrible curse, a knight in shining armour, camelot, a magic mirror along with the rhyme scheme all really get the reader intrigued and wanting to keep reading. So from a slightly different perspective I think the devices that make up a poem are only as useful as the story line and interest of the reader. And The Lady of Shalott clearly uses that concept to create both a interesting story, as well as a well developed piece of poetry.
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Pearl Davis
1/22/2015 10:02:16 am
To me, symbols stick out as one of the most prominent parts of this poem. Throughout the entire poem, most every part of the world acts as a symbol to the overall theme. The mirror stands to symbolize an uncorrupted view of the world (which is how the lady sees it). The tapestry acts as a catalog of this world she views. The colors are bright and represent a happy, innocent view of the world. The young knight is the temptation of The Lady, with his eye-catching get up only adding to this symbolic view of him. The white dress that the Lady of Shalott wore as she rode down the river represented her innocence, and the leaves falling upon it as she died could be viewed as the corruption of her purity. I didn't mention all of the symbols, but these are the ones that really stuck out to me.
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