Summary THE LADY OF SHALOTT by LORD TENNYSON

The island of Shalott was situated in a river. There were many fields on either side of the river. Through the fields a road ran to the city of Camelot which had many towers. People walked up and down on the road and the river also flowed down to the Camelot. On the island the Lady of Shalott lived alone. No one had ever seen her. She had never come to the window. Only the farmers sometimes heard her song and called her the Lady of Shalott. 

She went on weaving a magic web day and night. There was a curse on her, but she did not know what it was. This is why she went on weaving all the time and never looked out of the window. There was a mirror before her in which she could see the shadows of the world. In the mirror she saw the reflection of the road and the river. She saw men and women, boys and girls. Sometime she saw knights who came riding. But she had no true lover among them. She went on weaving the magic sights of the mirror in her web. Once she say in the mirror to newly married young lovers. It made her restless and she felt sick of looking at the shadows. 

Once she saw the brave young knight, Sir Lancelot, who was riding down to Camelot. He was very bold and handsome. He sang a song while he rode. She was so much attracted that she left the web, came to the window and looked at him. The result was that the curse came upon her. The web flew out and the mirror cracked from side to side. 

She came down and found a boat under a tree. She wrote her name on the front part of the boat. She was dressed in white clothes. She lay down in the boat which carried her far away. She reached the city of Camelot, sang a sad song and died. The boat passed by towers and houses. People looked at her and read her name on the boat. They did not know who she was and from where she had come. The feast in the palace of the king was stopped and all the knights made a sign of the cross out of fear. Sir Lancelot thought for a while. He said that the Lady of Shalott had a lovely face. He prayed to god to grant her mercy.