Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote many adaptations of Arthurian legend, but one of his most enduring is “The Lady of Shalott.” This poem exists in two versions, published respectively in 1832 and 1842. Though slightly shorter, the 1842 version is generally considered more fully-developed. The source material for this poem was a thirteenth-century Italian story about a young noblewoman confined in a tower just upriver from Camelot. She dies without ever getting to express her love for the handsome knight, Sir Lancelot. Tennyson’s version of the story retains the themes of isolation and desire, but he also adds a magical dimension in the form of a mysterious curse that hangs over the title character. Though unsure why, the Lady of Shalott is forbidden from looking in the direction of Camelot. To distract herself from the temptation, she spends all her time weaving images of the “shadows of the world” (line 48) that she sees reflected in the crystal mirror above her loom. One day, however, Lancelot appears outside her window, awakening her desire. When her gaze follows him toward Camelot, activating the curse and eventually killing her, it becomes clear to the reader that her confinement symbolically functions to incarcerate her sexuality.

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