Lady of Shalott Quotes - Part III Quiz

Answer: barley

This passage illustrates the proximity of Sir Lancelot to the Lady of Shalott; he is close enough for an arrow to pierce him - though it appears that it was the Lady who was in fact pierced by Cupid's arrow. By bringing in the natural surroundings, such as the barley-sheaves, Tennyson provides a lovely picture of the countryside. Though the sight of the barley may not have been very interesting to those who saw it everyday, to the Lady it may have represented something she could not touch, and with that, the freedom which she could not attain.

Answer: Lancelot

Sir Lancelot has many stories about him. Besides the traditional tales surrounding his skills as a knight and his romance with Queen Guinevere, Lancelot also has several legends which involve him in some kind of magic. He is often portrayed as having been raised by the Lady of the Lake, who is the magical character known for giving King Arthur his famous sword, Excalibur.

This connection between Sir Lancelot and magic may play a role in the story - the Lady, whose life is also surrounded by magic, is not tempted to look out of the window proper until Sir Lancelot rides past.

Answer: gemmy

Tennyson's use of simile is superb, comparing the bridle to the beauty of the stars. The loveliness of Sir Lancelot's adornments adds overall to how much attraction he holds for the Lady; the whole line reads: "The gemmy bridle glitter'd free/Like to some branch of stars we see/Hung in the golden Galaxy".

The "golden galaxy" here is referring to the Milky Way. By comparing any part of Lancelot's adornments to one of the brightest patches of stars in the sky, Tennyson is showing us the beauty of Lancelot which drew in the Lady, who ultimately gives up her life for her love of this knight.

Answer: baldric/bugle

For those of you who, like me, do not know what a baldric is, I looked it up. Thefreedictionary.com describes it as "a belt, usually of ornamented leather, worn across the chest to support a sword or bugle." This is another part of the beautiful description provided by Tennyson of Sir Lancelot.

Answer: flame

Tennyson uses onomatopoeia here to make the phrase flow more smoothly; "helmet" and "helmet-feather", along with "burn'd" and "burning" provide places for our eyes and tongues to jump to when reading the poem. This passage is another part of the description of Sir Lancelot, which makes up much of the third part of the poem.

Answer: starry/meteor

This passage is comparing Lancelot to a meteor travelling across a dark sky, referring both to his beauty and to the effect he has on the Lady of Shalott. It can be interpreted as saying that the meteor that was Lancelot lit up the world for the Lady, forcing her to look upon him properly and unlock the curse.

Answer: coal-black

The entire passage reads: "His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd/On burnished 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". Another part of Tennyson's detailed description of Lancelot, this provides a better understanding as to why the Lady was so interested in him.

Answer: mirror

This line is indicating that the Lady was still watching him through her mirror, and was therefore unable to see him clearly. As she wanted a better and a longer look, "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 looked down to Camelot".

The glimpse she saw of Lancelot in the mirror was not enough, and she goes to the window to look at him, which brought the curse upon her.

Answer: The lady of Shalott

When the Lady stops looking at the world through her mirror and looks through her window properly, she inflicts upon herself the curse which had for so long kept her hidden in her tower. After seeing Lancelot and the rest of the world outside through her own eyes, she can no longer remain in her solitude and leaves the tower in the next part of the poem.

The only other spoken line in the poem is said by Lancelot, when he proclaims 'Tirra Lirra' in a true intellectual fashion.

Answer: Agatha Christie

A Christie classic; this book tells the tale of a poisoned drink which kills a woman, though it may have been meant for another. It encompasses mystery with insanity, which is where the quote comes into play. Lines from the Tennyson poem are repeated throughout the novel, which features Miss Marple, one of Agatha Christie's most popular detectives. I hope you enjoyed this quiz!