The Lady of Shalott Alfred, Lord Tennyson
On either side the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye That clothe the world and meet the sky And thro' the field the road run by To many-towered Camelot And up and down the people go Gazing where the lilies blow Round an island there below The island of Shalott Willows whiten, aspens quiver Little breezes dusk and shiver Thro' the wave that runs for ever By the island in the river Flowing down to Camelot Four grey walls, and four grey towers Overlook a space of flowers And the silent isle imbowers The Lady of Shalott Only reapers, reaping early In among the bearded barley Hear a song that echoes cheerly From a river winding clearly Down to tower'd Camelot And by the moon the reaper weary Piling shaved in uplands airy Listening, whispers ''tis the fairy The Lady of Shalott' There she weaves by night and day A magic web with colours gay She has heard a whisper say A curse is on her if she stay To look down to Camelot She knows not what the curse may be And so she weaveth steadily And little other care hath she The Lady of Shalott And moving through a mirror clear That hangs before her all the year Shadows of the worlds appear There she sees the highway near Winding down to Camelot And sometimes thro' the mirror blue The Knights come riding two and two She hath no loyal Knight and true The Lady of Shalott Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, An abbot on an ambling pad, Sometimes a curly shepherd lad, Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad Goes by to tower'd Camelot; And sometimes through the mirror blue The knights come riding two and two. She hath no loyal Knight and true, The Lady of Shalott But in her web she still delights To weave the mirror's magic sights For often thro' the silent nights A funeral, with plumes and light And music, went to Camelot Or when the Moon was overhead Came two young lovers lately wed 'I am half sick of shadows,' she said The lady of Shalott A bow-shot from her bower-eaves He rode between the barley sheaves The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves And flamed upon the brazen greaves Of bold Sir Lancelot A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd To a lady in his shield That sparkled on the yellow field Beside remote Shalott The gemmy bridle glitter'd free, Like to some branch of stars we see Hung in the golden Galaxy. The bridle bells rang merrily As he rode down to Camelot: And from his blazon'd bugle hung, And as he rode his armor rung Beside remote Shalott.	All in the blue unclouded weather Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather, The helmet and the hlemet-feather Burn'd like one burning flame together, As he rode down to Camelot. As often thro' the purple night, Below the starry clusters bright, Some bearded meteor, burning bright, moves over still Shalott His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode From underneath his helmet flow'd His coal-black curls as on he rode As he rode down to Camelot From the back and from the river He flashed into the crystal mirror 'Tirra lirra,' by the river Sang Sir Lancelot She left the web, she left the loom She made three paces thro' the room She saw the water lily bloom She saw the helmet and the plume She look'd down to Camelot Out flew the web and floated wide The mirror crack'd from side to side 'The curse is come upon me,' cried The Lady of Shalott In the stormy east-wind straining The pale yellow woods were waning The broad stream in his banks complaining Heavily the low sky raining Over tower'd Camelot Down she came and found a boat Beneath a willow left afloat And round the prow she wrote The Lady of Shalott And down the river's dim expanse Like some bold seer in a trance Seeing all his own mischance - With a glassy countenance Did she look to Camelot And at the closing of the day She loosed the chain, and down she lay The broad stream bore her far away The Lady of Shalott Lying, robed in snowy white That loosely flew to left and right-- The leaves upon her falling light-- Thro' the noises of the night, She floated down to Camelot: And as the boat-head wound along The willowy hills and fields among, They heard her singing her last song, The Lady of Shalott. Heard a carol, mournful holy Chanted loudly, chanted lowly Till her blood was frozen slowly And her eyes were darkened wholly Turn'd to tower'd Camelot For ere she reach'd upon the tide The first house by the water-side Singing in her song she died The Lady of Shalott Under tower and balcony By garden-wall and gallery A gleaming shape she floated by Dead-pale between the houses high Silent into Camelot Out upon the wharfs they came Knight and Burgher, Lord and Dame And round the prow they read her name The Lady of Shalott Who is this? And what is here? And in the lighted palace near Died the sound of royal cheer And they crossed themselves for fear All the Knights at Camelot But Lancelot mused a little space He said, 'she has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace The Lady of Shalott.'