“Hung in the golden galaxy, the bride bells rang merrily”
The gold colour makes you feel happy and cheerful contrary to the pale yellow in the following quote which makes it all dark and gloomy by using words such as “complaining”.
“The pale yellow woods were waning, the broad stream in his banks complaining.”
The atmosphere in each section differs and is sometimes affected by the weather, in section 1 it is mysterious and suspicious as you do not know who she is or where she came from. However in section 4 the atmosphere is created by the weather and the word choice, making the atmosphere tense and sad.
“Heavily the low sky raining”
In section 2 she’s infront of the mirror and she can only see outside by the mirror which makes us sympathetic towards her as she is imprisoned and if she stops weaving a curse will be put upon her, therefore she cannot go outside and subsequently cannot enjoy herself.
In section 3 however, Tennyson spends 3 whole stanzas’ describing Sir Lancelot and making him seem wonderful. Emphasising the similarity to a ‘Prince charming’ and a ‘knight in shining armour’. He does this using such phrases like “Bold Sir Lancelot”. He gives the impression that Sir Lancelot is a mighty, great warrior. For example, “a mighty silver bugle hung”. I think Tennyson uses 3 whole stanzas describing Lancelot as he is an important character in the poem. Also because you find out why the Lady of Shalott loves him so much and why she gets so excited when she sees him in the mirror.
The whole poem is about contrasts. Some of which are the differences between Camelot and Shalott. Also life inside the castle and life outside the castle and how life inside is full of monotony and entrapment, whereas life outside the castle is full of excitement, enjoyment and freedom. How the life she is living inside the castle is a life which is lived by shadows and reflections by the mirror but life outside the castle is ‘real life’ and is lived how you want it to be lived. Another choice she has to make is whether she is going to stay in the safety of the castle or is going to go outside to the danger awaiting her, which if she stops weaving and goes outside will kill her, this being the curse.
Tennyson uses Shakespeare’s style of writing as the words he uses throughout the poem are extremely old fashioned which we would not use in everyday speech, therefore he needs to give a definition for them, an example of this is “casement” which means window. Another example is “burnished” which is in section 3, this means polished which we would rather say than “burnished”
Tennyson describes the Lady of Shalott as a fairy,
“Tis the fairy, the Lady of Shalott.”
This is another idea which interprets the idea of Tennyson using Shakespeare’s themes as in “A Midsummer Nights Dream” Shakespeare talks about fairies frequently and uses a poetic form for his plays.
The rhythm in this poem is very good as every line rhymes at the end as “quiver” rhymes with “shiver” and “day” rhymes with “gay” and so on. Also at the end of each stanza it ends with either “Shalott”, “Camelot” or “Lancelot” which all rhyme, this makes each stanza tie in together nicely at the end.
The author uses certain technical devices which make the poem better and more enjoyable to read. An example of a “technical device” is alliteration: “willows whiten” and “reapers reaping”, this also gives it more rhythm.
Onomatopoeia is also used effectively; the sound has an affect on the atmosphere and the mood in which the character is in, in the following the sound makes the mood happy.
“The bridle bells rang merrily”
Similes also give you an image in your head of how the text has an affect on the character,
“The gemmy bridle glitter’d free, like to some branch of the stars we see”
this gives you the image of the bridle being sparkly with gems which were as precious as the stars we see in the night sky, also how they gleamed like a bright star.