Who wrote the poem 'The Lady of Shalott'?

Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote the poem “The Lady of Shalott.”

Tennyson’s lyrical ballad draws on the medieval Arthurian legend of Elaine of Astolat, especially a 13th-century Italian prose story. In Tennyson’s version, the Lady lives under a mysterious curse in a tower near Camelot. She must weave images of the outside world while viewing life only through a mirror.

When she sees Sir Lancelot, she turns toward the window, breaking the curse. She leaves the tower, finds a boat, and writes her name on it before drifting toward Camelot and death. The poem explores isolation, artistic creation, desire, and the danger of remaining separated from ordinary life.

Tennyson published an early version in 1832 and revised it in 1842. The later version has 19 stanzas rather than the original 20. Its vivid imagery also inspired many Victorian artists, especially the Pre-Raphaelites and John William Waterhouse, whose famous 1888 painting depicts the Lady’s final journey.