“The Lady of Shalott”
Arthurian Inspired Poetry and Artwork
Evidence, Inference, Green Words
List 5 things that you ACTUALLY SEE in each painting.
“I am Half Sick of Shadows” Said
Lady of Shalott (1905)
Lady of Shalott (1888)
the Lady of Shalott (1916)
William Holman Hunt
John William Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse
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Based on this group of paintings, what predictions can you make about the poem “The Lady of Shalott”?
Prediction
Basis for Prediction (evidence and inference)
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“Lady of Shalott” Guiding Questions
1. What mood (inference) is created by the description of the island in lines 1-18? Identify words contributing to the
mood (evidence).
2. Reread lines 28-45. How does the Lady of Shalott feel about her situation? Cite evidence to support your answer.
3. Stop at line 45. How much have you learned about the speaker so far, and what has he or she told you about the Lady
of Shalott?
4. Stop at line 72. Describe the pattern of repetition in the fifth and ninth lines of each stanza (groups within the
painting). How does the repetition affect the mood?
5. Stop at line 72. Refer back to your notes on the painting “I Am Half Sick of Shadows,” Said the Lady of Shalott. How
does your understanding of the poem so far affect what you see in the art piece? What do you see now that you didn’t
see before?
6. Reread lines 73-99. List all the images of light associated with Sir Lancelot. What mood do they create?
7. How does the mood change in lines 109-117? What is your evidence for this mood change?
8. Do you see the mood change in the second Waterhouse painting? Does it match the poem? Cite evidence from the
painting and the poem to support your answer.
9. Reread lines 109-126. The Lady of Shalott does not know the specifics of the curse (lines 40-42). Is it likely that her
actions would be different if she knew? Why or why not? Use evidence from the poem to support your answer and give
line numbers.
10. Reread lines 118-153. How do nature image and sound devices help create a tragic mood? You will first need to list
the image and sound devices, and then connect these to the tragic mood.
11. What are the speaker’s feelings about the Lady of Shalott’s death? What is your evidence for this inference?
Creating Our Thesis Statement
Listen as I read the poem again. Identify green concepts present in the poem.
a.
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b. _________________ c. _________________
Using either the “Mood” Words handout or your own mood words, choose two strong adjectives to describe the mood
that that is created in poem.
b. _______________
b.___________________
2. Create an “Although…” thesis statement for the poem.
Complete the chart based on your STATEMENT
Evidence
+
(PROOF)
Inference
(COMMENTARY)
= Green Words/
Attitude Words
This is the all-important link
between your evidence and your
claim (green words/mood words)
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