The Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott lives in an island castle in a river which flows to Camelot, but little is known about her by the local farmers.
She has been cursed, and so must constantly weave a magic web without looking directly out at the world. Instead, she looks into a mirror which reflects the busy road and the people of Camelot which pass by her island.
Then comes "bold Sir Lancelot" as he rides past, and is seen by the lady.
She stops weaving and looks out her window toward Camelot, bringing about the curse.She leaves her tower, finds a boat upon which she writes her name, and floats down the river to Camelot. She dies before arriving at the palace, and among the knights and ladies who see her is Lancelot.

I fell in love with this poem. It was the painting however that caught my attention first. The painting of the Lady of Shalott was the cover to the third volume in out set of British English anthologies....I used to stare at the cover, something about it, it was an escape....to a fairy tale. There was so much going on in it, I was caught up in its beauty. Then, we read a poem in class, and it was beautiful, flowing and imaginative...and heart breaking at the same time, a love story with no happy ending! I wanted a picture of this world that was described....then Kimberly Meyers said that the picture on the front of our text was the actual painting of the Lady of Shalott....I loved them separately without knowing that they belonged together. The poem has remnants of the classic fairy tale.....a prince who is unattainable, a curse to stay in a tower....the beauty in the sadness! For some reason....watching Hans my Hedgehog reminded me of this poem, I think the princess looks like the Lady in Shalott?? I'm not sure what it was that sparked this memory, but it's a beautiful one!