Please critique my essay on Tennyson's Lady of Shalott

[regularjoe]

essay deleted

[JBI]

You tell the narrative instead of criticize. Your essay focuses on the plot of the narrative, rather than the narrative, and you seek to retell the story. I recommend generating a more focused thesis, like The Lady and Shalot and Victorian social restrictions on women, or something like that. As it is, you seem to be reading at a very basic level, and don't get beyond that, deeper into the implications.

After all, all essays should argue - what does the poem make you think of. What is its effect? How does it mean?

I sense some aspect of critical thought here, but you need to get beyond the floweriness, and assume your reader knows the poem. Dig deeper, and more directly, don't be afraid to take risks, but most of all, avoid repeating anything regarding to the obvious, and focus purely on interpretation. The plot of the poem is only central if you make it central. Your readers know the poem, so you don't need to remind them of its plot.

Also, watch mechanics - Anaphora is not preferred in scholarly prose.

Lancelot’s sudden arrival makes her think about her appalling situation. Through Lancelot’s arrival, the conflict between her world of shadows and the genuine world of passion is brought into focus. It is clear that Lancelot’s world is not without its hazards: he is dressed in full armour, rides his war horse, and he is going to Camelot; the place of extraordinary intrepidity and ability. However, she craves contact with a fellow being and in doing so defies the curse by leaving the tower.

[regularjoe]

You tell the narrative instead of criticize. Your essay focuses on the plot of the narrative, rather than the narrative, and you seek to retell the story. I recommend generating a more focused thesis, like The Lady and Shalot and Victorian social restrictions on women, or something like that. As it is, you seem to be reading at a very basic level, and don't get beyond that, deeper into the implications.

After all, all essays should argue - what does the poem make you think of. What is its effect? How does it mean?

I sense some aspect of critical thought here, but you need to get beyond the floweriness, and assume your reader knows the poem. Dig deeper, and more directly, don't be afraid to take risks, but most of all, avoid repeating anything regarding to the obvious, and focus purely on interpretation. The plot of the poem is only central if you make it central. Your readers know the poem, so you don't need to remind them of its plot.

Also, watch mechanics - Anaphora is not preferred in scholarly prose.

Lancelot’s sudden arrival makes her think about her appalling situation. Through Lancelot’s arrival, the conflict between her world of shadows and the genuine world of passion is brought into focus. It is clear that Lancelot’s world is not without its hazards: he is dressed in full armour, rides his war horse, and he is going to Camelot; the place of extraordinary intrepidity and ability. However, she craves contact with a fellow being and in doing so defies the curse by leaving the tower.

Thank you very much for your insights. I will have a closer look at the Anaphora issue and will refrain from using it.
On a different note: if you were to name a few core ideas that I ought to be focussing on , what would these be? When you are saying that I am reading at a basic level and that I should be looking for implications, what do you mean? The thing with this poem is that looking for possible implications would come across as rather speculative..: "this can occur if this happens" & "a possible consequence is this" whilst I am trying to focus on what the poem is suggesting rather than moving too much outside it.

there are 4 aspects to take note of when I am analysing the poem: the literal (what is happening), the allegorical (what does it stand for), the moral (is this right or not.) and the anagogical (interpretation of a word, passage, or text (as of Scripture or poetry) that finds beyond the literal, allegorical, and moral senses a fourth and ultimate spiritual or mystical sense)

The anagogical sense is a highly speculative one to write about.What exactly do you mean with "getting into the implications" ?

[JBI]

Look at Sewing as a motif, look at the notion of the curse, look at the idea of the house, verses the landscape, and of the lovers walking hand-in-hand that the Lady sees, which finally strikes a nerve and makes her go outside.

Also, look at the notion of pastoral, and how it is corrupted by the fate of the Lady.

[regularjoe]

Look at Sewing as a motif, look at the notion of the curse, look at the idea of the house, verses the landscape, and of the lovers walking hand-in-hand that the Lady sees, which finally strikes a nerve and makes her go outside.

Also, look at the notion of pastoral, and how it is corrupted by the fate of the Lady.

Thank you very much for your insights.