Tennyson Vs. Malroy

Blog Post 4: Tennyson vs. Malroy

The two poems “The Lady of Shallot” by Tennyson and “Fair Maid of Astolat” by Malroy are two poem of women who die presumably from a lack, or denial of love. “The Lady of Shallot” focuses around a mysterious maybe even mystical maiden who leaves her tower after seeing the face of fair Lancelot and then dies from an unknown curse. “Fair Maid of Astolat” is about the lady Elaine who falls in love with Lancelot while he is participating in a tournament and tells her father that if they do not wed she will die, and she indeed does when Lancelot refuses to marry her.

Though both the Lady of Shallot and Elaine are from two different stories the two ladies are very familiar. They both live in towers away from the town and both end up falling in love with Lancelot and dying because of unrequited love (or a curse), either way both maidens have shown that falling in love with Lancelot does not do anyone any good. Something interesting that both women also share is their initial descriptions include the fact that they live in towers. To the Lady of Shallot the tower is a place that she is kept away from the world and her only contact is with the world is through a mirror, but Elaine is free to leave if she pleases.

However, when reading “Fair Maid of Astolat” after reading “Lady of Shallot” something that has changed my perspective of the two ladies is who different they really are. Elaine actually meet Lancelot and her stories has more religious overtones than The Lady of Shallot’s. Elaine has a pretty strong voice in her poem and advocates for her heart as well as her life while the Lady of Shallot only has about two lines throughout her entire story. The Lady of Shallot’s death also has a different kind of meaning after reading “Fair Maid of Astolat”. Elaine dies fighting for her right to love and to love who she wants while The Lady of Shallot’s death can have multiple meanings. She could’ve died from the curse, or unrequited love, but after reading about Elaine’s death it just seems like a waist of life. She left her tower to die for a reason we don’t know. Elaine’s purpose is straight forward and righteous but The Lady just kind of fades away out of existence from a place that barely knew she was there.