Symbolism in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's ‘The Lady of Shalott’
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore Tennyson's use of symbolism in 'The Lady of Shallot'.
Key learning points
- Symbolism is when writers use something tangible to represent an intangible idea.
- The Lady of Shalott symbolises the isolated artist and the sacrifices some make to create great art.
- Throughout the poem, Tennyson emphasises that the Lady of Shalott is a great artist.
- However, Tennyson also emphasises how much the Lady of Shalott sacrifices to create her beautiful art.
- It is up to the reader to decide whether the Lady of Shalott made the right decision to leave her isolated tower.
Keywords
Intangible - something that can't be touched e.g. love
Symbolism - when writers use something to represent intangible ideas; for example, a rose as a symbol for love
Solitude - the state of being alone with no-one around you
Sacrifice - to (often) unwillingly give something up
Isolated - to be placed far away from others; to have little contact with others
Common misconception
If you are in solitude, you feel lonely.
Solitude can be a pleasant state, one that lots of people seek out. It is different from feeling lonely or isolated.
Teacher tip
Consider how long your pupils will need to write their paragraph, and work out the timings for the rest of the lesson from there.
Equipment
Pupils need a copy of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's 'The Lady of Shalott' which can be found in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of sexual content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire’), what does the Lady of Shalott have to constantly do in the tower that she lives in?
Q2.In 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire'), who lives with the Lady of Shalott in her tower?
Q3.In 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire'), why does the Lady of Shalott decide to leave her tower?
Q4.Match each section of the poem 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire') to its plot points.
description of the island and the rumours about the Lady of Shalott
description of curse, but also that beauty of the "web"
Sir Lancelot is described, and the Lady of Shalott leaves her loom
the Lady of Shalott sails to Camelot in a boat, knowing she will die
Q5.Starting with the first, order these plot points about the moment the Lady of Shalott sees Sir Lancelot ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
Q6.In Stanza eight of 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire’), we hear the first piece of dialogue from the Lady of Shalott herself. She says, "I am half of shadows".
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire'), what does the Lady of Shalott sacrifice when she looks out of the window to see Sir Lancelot in real life?
Q2.In 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire'), what does the Lady of Shalott symbolise?
Q3.Match these words, all important in understanding 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
something that can be touched e.g. a table
something that can’t be touched e.g. love
when writers use something to represent abtract ideas
Q4.Match these sentence stems about 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire') to their endings.
she lives alone in a tower.
she has a happy existence weaving a "charmed web".
she eventually leaves her loom.
Q5.In Stanza five of 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire'), Tennyson writes of the Lady of Shalott: "No hath she to sport and play".
Q6.In Stanza eight of 'The Lady of Shalott' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire'), Tennyson writes of the Lady of Shalott: "But in her web she still delights / To weave the mirror's sights".
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Symbolism in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's ‘The Lady of Shalott’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Symbolism in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's ‘The Lady of Shalott’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the Myths, legends and stories that inspire unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.