The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

[kellyrfineman]

Today's poem is a lovely one by Tennyson, who was retelling a medieval story about the Lady Elaine of Astolat, who dies of unrequited love for Lancelot. The poem is a significant variation from the original source material, in which Elaine meets and falls in love with Lancelot, who deigns to wear her token (and her brother's armor) in a jousting

Comments

[sbennettwealer]

Another person here, who really fell in love with this poem watching it entrance little Anne Shirley. It's still one of my favorites.

Incidentally, I believe the model for the Waterhouse image of the Lady that you have in this post is Lizzie Siddal, who was the model for another of my favorite paintings, Millais' Ophelia.

[kellyrfineman]

It's the same model as the picture in this icon, and many many many of his other paintings (from the 1890s). Sometimes he gave her different hair colors, but mostly she seems to have been brunette.

I stumbled across a reference to the poem in a historical romance I read earlier this week and thought "hey! I never actually posted that one!"

[beckylevine]

I can't read any of this poem without thinking of Anne of Green Gables. :)

[kellyrfineman]

That makes at least THREE people who've said the same thing!