QuoteProject
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.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on beauty and the human response to it, encapsulating themes of admiration and the mystique surrounding the Lady of Shalott.

In this excerpt from Tennyson's poem, Lancelot admires the Lady of Shalott's beauty, suggesting an appreciation for artistic or romantic ideals. The passage captures the complexity of human emotions as the knights, surrounded by royal cheer, also experience fear, hinting at the duality of life and the consequences of desire, especially in the context of the Lady's tragic fate.

Themes

BeautyAdmirationMystiqueKnightsTragedy

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a discussion about beauty in art and literature.

More from Alfred Lord Tennyson

Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar.
Alfred Lord TennysonRead
How many a father have I seen, A sober man, among his boys, Whose youth was full of foolish noise.
Alfred Lord TennysonRead
O Love! what hours were thine and mine, In lands of palm and southern pine; In lands of palm, of orange-blossom, Of olive, aloe, and maize and vine!
Alfred Lord TennysonRead
Earth is dry to the centre,_x000D_ But spring, a new comer,_x000D_ A spring rich and strange,_x000D_ Shall make the winds blow_x000D_ Round and round,_x000D_ Thro' and thro',_x000D_ Here and there,_x000D_ Till the air_x000D_ And the ground_x000D_ Shall be fill'd with life anew.
Alfred Lord TennysonRead
O love, O fire! once he drew With one long kiss my whole soul through My lips, as sunlight drinketh dew.
Alfred Lord TennysonRead
But thy strong Hours indignant work’d their wills, And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me, And tho’ they could not end me, left me maim’d To dwell in presence of immortal youth, Immortal age beside immortal youth, And all I was, in ashes. - Tithonus
Alfred Lord TennysonRead

Similar quotes

My style says, 'Look at me, don't look at me.'
Patti SmithRead
People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish... but that's only if it's done properly.
BanksyRead
The ambivalence of writing is such that it can be considered both an act and an interpretive process that follows after an act with which it cannot coincide. As such, it both affirms and denies its own nature.
Paul De ManRead
Drawing is . . . not an exercise of particular dexterity, but above all a means of expressing intimate feelings and moods.
Henri MatisseRead
The difference between architecture and building is that the former expresses an idea, while the latter is merely a structure built on economical principles. The value of matter depends solely on its capacities of expressing ideas.
Swami VivekanandaRead
Photography is a form of time travel.
Neil Degrasse TysonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.