Reflection of the Lady of Shalott

     I like the way of how the writer uses contracting images to describe the life of the Lady of Shalott. For example, the contracting images include the busy life of villagers in Camelot and the life of the Lady and the energetic song of the Sir and the lonely life of the Lady. To me, this poem is not easy to understand. I read several times in order to get the main idea of it. Part I and Part IV of the poem deal with the Lady as she appears to the outside world. However, Part II and Part III describe the world from Lady’s perspective. I think that the Lady’s life is mysterious because I can’t directly look through the world or the curse will come upon her. Her knowledge of the world must come from the reflections a d shadows in the mirror. The poem ends with tragedy that shows the Lady’s life without having freedom.

 

What Is The Appeal of Fantasy?

     Discuss why you think people remain enchanted with stories of castles, knights, quests, dragons, and ancient times.

People seem to remain enchanted with stories of castles, knights, quests, dragons, and ancient times because people usually want to live in a dramatic, imaginative, and creative world. Dragons do not exist in the real world, but people like to create stories about dragons in order to express their imaginations. For example, Beowulf, Macbeth, Canterbury, Don Quixote, Kubla Khan, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner are stories about castles, knights, quests, dragons, and ancient times. People are enchanted by these kinds of story because they might not find the same lifestyle or situation from their real world. For example, we definitely can’t find dragons in our lives, so we tend to be curious and interested in Beowulf. Moreover, Rime of the Ancient Mariner is story which is full of imagination. That is why people are attracted by it. I think that people want to enjoy the world which is different from the real one.