the-lady-of-shalott赏析论文

ContrastsinTheLadyofShalottTheLadyofShalottbythefamousVictoriapoetAlfredTennysonisapoembasedonalovetalewhichisoriginatedfromLancelot’sadventuresinthelegendaboutKingArthur.Thereinhabitedamaiden,wholedaquietandplainlifeinanisolatedisland,namedShalott,nearthepalaceofKingArthur.Shewascursednottolookattheoutsideworlddirectly.Theonlywayforhertogetanyknowledgeofitwasthemirrorhungbeforeherinwhichshecouldseethereflectionsoftheoutsideworldandwavedthemintoatapestry.Oneday,shesawthereflectionsofSirLancelotridingbytoCamelotandfellinlovewithhim.Inspiteofthecurse,shewentoutsideofhercastle,andboatedalonetoseekherlover,resultinginherdeathinatempest.TheappreciationofthispoemcaninevitablyleadtothetopicoffeminismandthesocialstatusofwomeninVictoriansociety.Toachievesuchatheme,variouspoeticdevicesareused,amongwhichamostimportantonebeingcontrast.Inthispoem,twomaincontrastscanbefound,including,thecontrastbetweenthelivingenvironmentoftheladyofShalottandtheoutsideworld,andthecontrastbetweentheimageoftheladyofShalottandthatofLancelot.AnalysisofthelivingenvironmentoftheladyofShalottandtheoutsideworldcangiveussomeinsightintotheimageofthefemalecharacter.Inpartoneofthepoem,Tennysongivesusthesettingofthepoemwithvividdescription:Oneithersidetheriverlie/Longfieldsofbarleyandofrye,/Thatclothethewoldandmeetthesky;(1-3)Theoutsideworldisonewithnotonly“fieldsofbarleyandrye”,butalsonaturalbeautiessuchas,“rivers”“lilies”“willows”“aspens”“flowers”,etc.Alltheseimagesindicateabeautiful,naturalandcolorfulworld.Incontrast,thelivingenvironmentoftheladyofShalottismadeupof“Fourgraywalls,andfourgraytowers”,deprivingherofbothherphysicalandspiritualfreedom,isolatingherfromthehappyoutsideworld.Besides,theoutsideisalwaysadynamicworld:the“liliesblow”,the“Willowswhiten,aspensquiver”,“breezesduskandshiver”,“theriver”is“flowingdown”,the“barges”is“Skimmingdown”andthe“river”is“winding”.Here,everythingseemstohappenaccordingtotheirnaturalcourse,justlikewhenGodcreatedthem.However,intheworldoftheladyofShalott,everythingisstillandsilent,withoutanymovement,justlikeherself:Butwhohathseenherwaveherhand?/Oratthecasementseenherstand?(25-26)Comparingwiththeoutsidenon-humancreatures,theladyofShalottpossessesevenlesslifeandvitality.Sheseemstohavebeentwistedfromhernature.What’smore,outsideisaworldwith“reapers”“damselsglad”“shepherd-lad”“page”“knights”“younglovers”,etc.Wheneverthereappearsomehumanbeingsinit,theyseemtoappearin“atroop”“twoandtwo”orinpairs.And,evenafuneralisdescribedbyTennysonwith“plumingandlightsandmusic”.Peopleintheoutsideworlddodifferentthings“early”or“bythemoon”andonedayisdifferentfromanother.Theyhavelifeanddeathandlove.However,allthesehavenothingtodowiththeladyofShalott.Sheisnotpartofit,butanobserverofit.Allshecandoiswavingtheirreflections“bynightandday”“alltheyear”.Thus,nightandday,seasonsoftheyear,lifeanddeathmakenodifferencestoher.Sheislivingasifnotalive.ByanalyzingthesharpcontrastoftheoutsideworldandthatoftheladyofShalott,wecangetaclearandvividimageofher.Sheisalonely,bonded,lifelessandhopelessfemalefigureisolatedfromamerry,colorfulanddynamicoutsideworld.ContrastalsoexistsbetweentheimageoftheladyofShalottandthatofLancelot.Sheisdoingatypicalfemalejob----wavingandcaresaboutnotingoutsidehersmallworld,whileLancelotisaknightwhoenjoysahighstatusandmuchprestigeintheoutsideworld.With“fourgraywalls,andfourgraytowers”and“robedinsnowywhite”,herworldhasnobrightcolorandlight,andshesingingsasongtoexpressherloneliness,givingusatenderandtimidimpression.However,Lancelotenjoysallthelightsandcolorsintheworld.Hewears“brazengreaves”and“helmet”,ridinga“war-horse”andequippedwith“shield”,indicatingamightymalefigure.Allthethingsinhisworlddazzle,flame,glitter,shine,burn,andglow.Hecanseethesundirectly,orinotherword,hehimselfisthesun.Hemakesmuchnoiseanddarestolettheworldhearhim.Hesingstoexpresshishappinessandconfidence.Thelovesceneonhisshieldshowshisactiveandpositiveattitudetowardthingsthathelongsfor,whiletheladyofShalottappearstobepassiveorshedoesn’tevenknowwhatshereallywantsatthebeginning.UnlikeLancelot,whosenameiswellknowntootherpeople,theladyofShalottisgivennonamefromthebeginningtotheendofthepoem.Thus,sheenjoysnoidentityintheworld.BycontrastingtheimageoftheladyofShalottandthatofLancelot,wecangetafullperceptionthattheladyofShalottindicatesatypicalfemalefigureintheVictoriansociety,whoissubmissive,timid,domesticandignored,whileLancelotindicatesthetypicalmalefigurewithpower,superiorityandconfidence.Fromtheaboveanalysis,wecangetaclearpictureofwomen’sconditionintheVictoriansociety,wherealthoughawomanpossessesaconcretebodyorexistence,sheisstillinvisibleinasocietydominatedbymen.Byusingcontrastsinthispoem,Tennysonshowedhisconcernforsuchsocialproblemaswomen’ssituationandtheinequalitybetweenmenandwomeninVictoriansociety.