Comprehension Questions
1) INFERENCE
What can you infer about the dwelling or home of the LADY of Shalott? Circle the details that led you
to this inference.
2) MOOD
What is the mood of the first three stanzas? Circle any words or phrases that indicate mood.
3) SYMBOS
IN lines 2-36, the reader learns tha there is a curse on the Lady of Shalott if she looks upon the royal city
of Camelot. What might the web the she weaves symbolize?
4) IMAGERY
What imagery is used in lines 28-26 to suggest Lady Shalott’s mood? How is the imagery different in
lines 37-45? What might the “shadows” symbolize in line 39?
5) THEME
How do lines 46-58 reflect loneliness and solitude? Underline the line that best illustrates this theme?
6) RHYME SCHEME
Label one stanza of the poem with the correct scheme by placing the appropriate letter at the end of each
line.
7) FIGURATIVE vs. LITERAL LANGUAGE
When the Lady of Shalott says, “I am half sick of shadows,” how is her use of the word shadows both
literal and figurative? What triggers this remark?
8) POETRY STRUCTURE
Look at the fifth and ninth line of each stanza. How does the second stanza on this page depart from this
structure? What might this structural change suggest?
9) ARCHETYPE
Which descriptions of Lancelot show him as an archetype of the “knight in shining armor”? Typically,
what is this type of character supported to do?
10) SYMBOL
Circle the symbol that represents bad luck.
11) ALLUSION
Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table are common allusions in popular culture. List at least two
allusions to Camelot you’ve seen in books, movies, or on television.
12) TONE
What is the overall tone of the poem? Circle any words in the last three stanzas that reveal the poet’s
tone.
13) COMPARE AND CONTRAST
How is the topic of love portrayed differently in “Endymion” and in “The Lady of Shalott?