The Lady of Shalott

The author, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was the Poet Laureate of England and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria’s reign and he remains one of Britain’s most popular poets. This poem, “The Lady of Shalott,” is a lyrical ballad that tells the legend of a young noble woman imprisoned in a tower on an island near Camelot. She can only watch the outside world through a mirror and must weave what she sees. She has heard that if she looks at Camelot directly, she will be cursed. One of the Tennyson’s best-known works, its vivid medieval romanticism and enigmatic symbolism inspired many painters, especially the Pre-Raphaelites and their followers.

This American edition is illustrated by Howard Pyle, who was also an author of children’s books. His 1883 classic publication The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, is still in print and his other books frequently have medieval European settings, including a four-volume set on the legends of King Arthur. Here, carefully-produced chromolithograph prints convey Pyle’s colorful medieval-inspired designs and enhance the reader’s experience of this beloved poem.