Compare and contrast the Lady of Shalott with In Westminster Abbey

The poem is split into four parts, which build a kind of chapter formation. Part one gives us a bit of insight to what her surroundings are like and the fact she lives in a tower and that no one really knows very much about her.

"Down to tower'd Camelot: And by the moon the reaper weary, Piling sheaves in uplands airy, Listening, whispers " 'Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott."

This quote from the poem (which is the last four lines of part 1) tells us that she is perceived almost like some kind of super natural being.

In part two the lady of Shalott never stops working. She is weaving a picture of the things she sees reflected by a mirror so what she sees is 2-d and fickle. (Notice the contrast, her surroundings are drab yet her tapestry is colourful)

"A funeral, with plumes and lights and music, went to Camelot: Or when the moon was overhead, Came two young lovers lately wed"

The above statement connects the funeral with a wedding like both are equal and that love is equivalent to death. The lady then realizes that there is something unsubstantial about her life and proclaims

"I'm half sick of shadows"

In Part three Lancelot appears and she sees his attractive reflection in the mirror, it appeals to her so much that she stops her work and looks out through the window at him. SHOCK the mirror breaks and the curse has come upon her. We can see how the lady almost becomes a mirror in herself with the glassy expression on her face. In this 'chapter' the rhyming pattern changes when Lancelot appears, usually every verse ends with the word Shalott but one of the verses ends with Camelot instead. This is symbolic of how much devastation he actually causes, the whole form of the poem alters when he appears.

In part four she wonders from the tower down to Camelot.

And down the river's dim expanse --

Like some bold seer in a trance,

Seeing all his own mischance --

With a glassy countenance....

These lines tell of the lady's trance like gaze possibly cause by thoughts of passion and desire (Lancelot). This could indicate that she is not responsible for her own actions. The changes of weather in the 'chapter' indicate the change in mood. She comes down to Camelot and finds a boat that is her final resting-place. She does not kill her self, nor is she evil because her last song is said to be mournful and holy. All the people gather round her and in the crowd, totally oblivious to the fact he caused her death Lancelot proclaims that god has mercy on her as she has a lovely face.

In Westminster Abbey is set during a war against Germany in the church in Westminster abbey. A woman is talking the whole time, which makes this, distinctly different from the last. In fact she is doing more than talking, she is praying. Once we discover that the audience is God we become very shocked by the things she is coming out with, especially when she says if he makes a mistake she will forgive him! She is being incredibly selfish and asking for special treatment i.e. that she should be protected more than anyone else. The woman is being greedy and praying for silly things like that her shares down go down and such like. In one of the verses she is talking about why England should win. There is great juxtaposition in the list that she gives placing things like democracy and class distinction together and then bringing in the fact they have proper drains, which just shows her snobbery. In other parts she is racist telling god to protect the blacks but to protect the whites more, which is saying that whites are more important just because they are more sophisticated and probably more civilized that the blacks she was talking about. The last verse gives us real insight into her character. She asks God for what she wants and expects to have her prayers answered in return for doing things she should have been doing any way. I.e. helping the war effort and going to church 'when ever she got the time'. The poem ends with her having to leave for a social occasion-

"A now dear lord I cannot wait,

Because I have a luncheon date"

She is a snob and she thinks God is one too, instead of praying to him in her local church she comes all the was to Westminster because she thinks God will view her prayer as more important. The end line of every verse deflates to what she has said (exposes the selfishness). The poet uses irony to show her up so you can't help laughing because you become almost astonished by the things that she says. The woman's actions don't co-inside with her words and the language doesn't fit. This makes her seem like a walking contradiction.

I think there is great contrast in both the context and styles of these poems but there still are similarities. They are both poems with a message; the message in The Lady of Shalott is that if you strive for more freedom you might end up dead. The message in the second poem is that we aren't always aware of our faults etc. but they are always there.

Created by Tori Anderson 4H