The Lady and the River

The Lady of the Shalott has themes of tragedy, grief and loss. Tennyson creates a mood of mystery and confusion throughout the poem. The ending was the acknowledgement that the death was tragic and harsh when Lancelot says “’she has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace.’” (Tennyson 169-170) Such a statement makes the Lady more of a tragic figure; Lancelot had no idea that he had caused such a lonely and painful death. The river serves as the main symbol in the poem. It seems as though Camelot pulls the Lady towards her death, and the river reflects this pull. The river is calm, but it is used to show the danger that looking toward Camelot means. The river reflects the lady’s thoughts and actions. When the Lady of Shalott starts to have pain from not being able to look herself the river responds by creating small whirlpools. (Tennyson 51) The river keeps coming back to the text to show a transition from peace to tragedy.  Upon realizing that she has cursed herself by looking at the real world with her own eyes, there is a “dim expanse.” (Tennyson 127) By looking towards Camelot and Lancelot, she cursed herself to death and the river personifies this; the river reflects the Lady. The river was put in the poem as an image to reflect the plot moving along.