Analysis of 'The Lady of Shalott'
How does Tennyson create mood and atmosphere in ‘The Lady of Shalott’?
The atmosphere created in ‘The Lady of Shalott’ is quite consistently serene whilst the poem varies in sorrowful or grieving sentiment throughout. Tennyson uses many different techniques, including a wide variety of imagery, in shaping the reader’s mood in order to manipulate the reader’s view of the poem. During part one the writer sets the scene for the story by describing the island and its environment; he uses imagery and personification in particular to characterise the various natural aspects of the lady’s surroundings. In part two Tennyson deepens the reader’s understanding of the lady and her situation, using morbid imagery and oxymoronic devices. Tennyson focuses the reader on Lancelot in part three by using light-based imagery and pathetic fallacy to make clear the purpose of Lancelot’s character in the poem. Finally, part four displays usage of sinister imagery to conclude the story and leave the reader with a sense of unease.
The first part of the poem displays a lot of metaphors involving encasement, beginning with the lines, ‘Long fields of barley and of rye, That clothe the wold and meet the sky’. This creates a sense of nurturing, as if fields are wrapped around the world to protect and care for it. The metaphor triggers imagery of a cloth or blanket being wrapped around an object or person for warmth and comfort, making the reader feel at ease. In this time period, villages depended almost entirely on harvest for food; however, the metaphor characterises the crops as it implies that they do not just provide food, but keep the area unperturbed and secure, giving the harvest an air of superiority.
The theme of encasement suddenly stops being quite so ambient and takes a sinister turn in verse two when the island is introduced: ‘Four gray walls, and four gray towers’. Tennyson uses this description of the tower in which the lady lives to shock the reader slightly, as
The atmosphere created in ‘The Lady of Shalott’ is quite consistently serene whilst the poem varies in sorrowful or grieving sentiment throughout. Tennyson uses many different techniques, including a wide variety of imagery, in shaping the reader’s mood in order to manipulate the reader’s view of the poem. During part one the writer sets the scene for the story by describing the island and its environment; he uses imagery and personification in particular to characterise the various natural aspects of the lady’s surroundings. In part two Tennyson deepens the reader’s understanding of the lady and her situation, using morbid imagery and oxymoronic devices. Tennyson focuses the reader on Lancelot in part three by using light-based imagery and pathetic fallacy to make clear the purpose of Lancelot’s character in the poem. Finally, part four displays usage of sinister imagery to conclude the story and leave the reader with a sense of unease.
The first part of the poem displays a lot of metaphors involving encasement, beginning with the lines, ‘Long fields of barley and of rye, That clothe the wold and meet the sky’. This creates a sense of nurturing, as if fields are wrapped around the world to protect and care for it. The metaphor triggers imagery of a cloth or blanket being wrapped around an object or person for warmth and comfort, making the reader feel at ease. In this time period, villages depended almost entirely on harvest for food; however, the metaphor characterises the crops as it implies that they do not just provide food, but keep the area unperturbed and secure, giving the harvest an air of superiority.
The theme of encasement suddenly stops being quite so ambient and takes a sinister turn in verse two when the island is introduced: ‘Four gray walls, and four gray towers’. Tennyson uses this description of the tower in which the lady lives to shock the reader slightly, as