Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Geek Talk & Media
What is the single best epic poem of all time?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="ilgatto" data-source="post: 9113365" data-attributes="member: 86051"><p>The Lady of Shalott</p><p>(by Alfred, Lord Tennyson)</p><p></p><p>Part I</p><p></p><p>On either side the river lie</p><p>Long fields of barley and of rye,</p><p>That clothe the wold and meet the sky;</p><p>And through the field the road runs by</p><p> To many-towered Camelot;</p><p>And up and down the people go,</p><p>Gazing where the lilies blow</p><p>Round an island there below,</p><p> The island of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>Willows whiten, aspens quiver,</p><p>Little breezes dusk and shiver</p><p>Through the wave that runs for ever</p><p>By the island in the river</p><p> Flowing down to Camelot.</p><p>Four grey walls, and four grey towers,</p><p>Overlook a space of flowers,</p><p>And the silent isle imbowers</p><p> The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>By the margin, willow-veiled,</p><p>Slide the heavy barges trailed</p><p>By slow horses; and unhailed</p><p>The shallop flitteth silken-sailed</p><p>Skimming down to Camelot:</p><p>But who hath seen her wave her hand?</p><p>Or at the casement seen her stand?</p><p>Or is she known in all the land,</p><p>The Lady of Shalott?</p><p></p><p>Only reapers, reaping early</p><p>In among the bearded barley,</p><p>Hear a song that echoes cheerly</p><p>From the river winding clearly,</p><p>Down to towered Camelot:</p><p>And by the moon the reaper weary,</p><p>Piling sheaves in uplands airy,</p><p>Listening, whispers "'Tis the fairy</p><p>Lady of Shalott."</p><p></p><p>Part II</p><p></p><p>There she weaves by night and day</p><p>A magic web with colours gay.</p><p>She has heard a whisper say,</p><p>A curse is on her if she stay</p><p>To look down to Camelot.</p><p>She knows not what the curse may be,</p><p>And so she weaveth steadily,</p><p>And little other care hath she,</p><p>The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>And moving through a mirror clear</p><p>That hangs before her all the year,</p><p>Shadows of the world appear.</p><p>There she sees the highway near</p><p>Winding down to Camelot:</p><p>There the river eddy whirls,</p><p>And there the surly village-churls,</p><p>And the red cloaks of market girls,</p><p>Pass onward from Shalott.</p><p></p><p>Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,</p><p>An abbot on an ambling pad,</p><p>Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad,</p><p>Or long-haired page in crimson clad,</p><p>Goes by to towered Camelot;</p><p>And sometimes through the mirror blue</p><p>The knights come riding two and two:</p><p>She hath no loyal knight and true,</p><p>The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>But in her web she still delights</p><p>To weave the mirror's magic sights,</p><p>For often through the silent nights</p><p>A funeral, with plumes and lights</p><p>And music, went to Camelot:</p><p>Or when the moon was overhead,</p><p>Came two young lovers lately wed;</p><p>"I am half sick of shadows," said</p><p>The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>Part III</p><p></p><p>A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,</p><p>He rode between the barley-sheaves,</p><p>The sun came dazzling through the leaves,</p><p>And flamed upon the brazen greaves</p><p>Of bold Sir Lancelot.</p><p>A red-cross knight for ever kneeled</p><p>To a lady in his shield,</p><p>That sparkled on the yellow field,</p><p>Beside remote Shalott.</p><p></p><p>The gemmy bridle glittered free,</p><p>Like to some branch of stars we see</p><p>Hung in the golden Galaxy.</p><p>The bridle bells rang merrily</p><p>As he rode down to Camelot:</p><p>And from his blazoned baldric slung</p><p>A mighty silver bugle hung,</p><p>And as he rode his armour rung,</p><p>Beside remote Shalott.</p><p></p><p>All in the blue unclouded weather</p><p>Thick-jewelled shone the saddle-leather,</p><p>The helmet and the helmet-feather</p><p>Burned like one burning flame together,</p><p>As he rode down to Camelot.</p><p>As often through the purple night,</p><p>Below the starry clusters bright,</p><p>Some bearded meteor, trailing light,</p><p>Moves over still Shalott.</p><p></p><p>His broad clear brow in sunlight glowed;</p><p>On burnished hooves his war-horse trode;</p><p>From underneath his helmet flowed</p><p>His coal-black curls as on he rode,</p><p>As he rode down to Camelot.</p><p>From the bank and from the river</p><p>He flashed into the crystal mirror,</p><p>"Tirra lirra," by the river</p><p>Sang Sir Lancelot.</p><p></p><p>She left the web, she left the loom,</p><p>She made three paces through the room,</p><p>She saw the water-lily bloom,</p><p>She saw the helmet and the plume,</p><p>She looked down to Camelot.</p><p>Out flew the web and floated wide;</p><p>The mirror cracked from side to side;</p><p>"The curse is come upon me," cried</p><p>The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>Part IV</p><p></p><p>In the stormy east-wind straining,</p><p>The pale yellow woods were waning,</p><p>The broad stream in his banks complaining,</p><p>Heavily the low sky raining</p><p>Over towered Camelot;</p><p>Down she came and found a boat</p><p>Beneath a willow left afloat,</p><p>And round about the prow she wrote</p><p>The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>And down the river's dim expanse,</p><p>Like some bold seër in a trance</p><p>Seeing all his own mischance--</p><p>With a glassy countenance</p><p>Did she look to Camelot.</p><p>And at the closing of the day</p><p>She loosed the chain, and down she lay;</p><p>The broad stream bore her far away,</p><p>The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>Lying, robed in snowy white</p><p>That loosely flew to left and right--</p><p>The leaves upon her falling light--</p><p>Through the noises of the night</p><p>She floated down to Camelot:</p><p>And as the boat-head wound along</p><p>The willowy hills and fields among,</p><p>They heard her singing her last song,</p><p>The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>Heard a carol, mournful, holy,</p><p>Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,</p><p>Till her blood was frozen slowly,</p><p>And her eyes were darkened wholly,</p><p>Turned to towered Camelot.</p><p>For ere she reached upon the tide</p><p>The first house by the water-side,</p><p>Singing in her song she died,</p><p>The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>Under tower and balcony,</p><p>By garden-wall and gallery,</p><p>A gleaming shape she floated by,</p><p>Dead-pale between the houses high,</p><p>Silent into Camelot.</p><p>Out upon the wharfs they came,</p><p>Knight and burgher, lord and dame,</p><p>And round the prow they read her name,</p><p>The Lady of Shalott.</p><p></p><p>Who is this? and what is here?</p><p>And in the lighted palace near</p><p>Died the sound of royal cheer;</p><p>And they crossed themselves for fear,</p><p>All the knights at Camelot:</p><p>But Lancelot mused a little space;</p><p>He said, "She has a lovely face;</p><p>God in his mercy lend her grace,</p><p>The Lady of Shalott."</p><p></p><p>tl;dr:</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]K5v7SAW3tlU[/MEDIA]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ilgatto, post: 9113365, member: 86051"] The Lady of Shalott (by Alfred, Lord Tennyson) Part I On either side the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye, That clothe the wold and meet the sky; And through the field the road runs by To many-towered Camelot; And up and down the people go, Gazing where the lilies blow Round an island there below, The island of Shalott. Willows whiten, aspens quiver, Little breezes dusk and shiver Through the wave that runs for ever By the island in the river Flowing down to Camelot. Four grey walls, and four grey towers, Overlook a space of flowers, And the silent isle imbowers The Lady of Shalott. By the margin, willow-veiled, Slide the heavy barges trailed By slow horses; and unhailed The shallop flitteth silken-sailed Skimming down to Camelot: But who hath seen her wave her hand? Or at the casement seen her stand? Or is she known in all the land, The Lady of Shalott? Only reapers, reaping early In among the bearded barley, Hear a song that echoes cheerly From the river winding clearly, Down to towered Camelot: And by the moon the reaper weary, Piling sheaves in uplands airy, Listening, whispers "'Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott." Part II There she weaves by night and day A magic web with colours gay. She has heard a whisper say, A curse is on her if she stay To look down to Camelot. She knows not what the curse may be, And so she weaveth steadily, And little other care hath she, The Lady of Shalott. And moving through a mirror clear That hangs before her all the year, Shadows of the world appear. There she sees the highway near Winding down to Camelot: There the river eddy whirls, And there the surly village-churls, And the red cloaks of market girls, Pass onward from Shalott. Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, An abbot on an ambling pad, Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad, Or long-haired page in crimson clad, Goes by to towered Camelot; And sometimes through the mirror blue The knights come riding two and two: She hath no loyal knight and true, The Lady of Shalott. But in her web she still delights To weave the mirror's magic sights, For often through the silent nights A funeral, with plumes and lights And music, went to Camelot: Or when the moon was overhead, Came two young lovers lately wed; "I am half sick of shadows," said The Lady of Shalott. Part III A bow-shot from her bower-eaves, He rode between the barley-sheaves, The sun came dazzling through the leaves, And flamed upon the brazen greaves Of bold Sir Lancelot. A red-cross knight for ever kneeled To a lady in his shield, That sparkled on the yellow field, Beside remote Shalott. The gemmy bridle glittered free, Like to some branch of stars we see Hung in the golden Galaxy. The bridle bells rang merrily As he rode down to Camelot: And from his blazoned baldric slung A mighty silver bugle hung, And as he rode his armour rung, Beside remote Shalott. All in the blue unclouded weather Thick-jewelled shone the saddle-leather, The helmet and the helmet-feather Burned like one burning flame together, As he rode down to Camelot. As often through the purple night, Below the starry clusters bright, Some bearded meteor, trailing light, Moves over still Shalott. His broad clear brow in sunlight glowed; On burnished hooves his war-horse trode; From underneath his helmet flowed His coal-black curls as on he rode, As he rode down to Camelot. From the bank and from the river He flashed into the crystal mirror, "Tirra lirra," by the river Sang Sir Lancelot. She left the web, she left the loom, She made three paces through the room, She saw the water-lily bloom, She saw the helmet and the plume, She looked down to Camelot. Out flew the web and floated wide; The mirror cracked from side to side; "The curse is come upon me," cried The Lady of Shalott. Part IV In the stormy east-wind straining, The pale yellow woods were waning, The broad stream in his banks complaining, Heavily the low sky raining Over towered Camelot; Down she came and found a boat Beneath a willow left afloat, And round about the prow she wrote The Lady of Shalott. And down the river's dim expanse, Like some bold seër in a trance Seeing all his own mischance-- With a glassy countenance Did she look to Camelot. And at the closing of the day She loosed the chain, and down she lay; The broad stream bore her far away, The Lady of Shalott. Lying, robed in snowy white That loosely flew to left and right-- The leaves upon her falling light-- Through the noises of the night She floated down to Camelot: And as the boat-head wound along The willowy hills and fields among, They heard her singing her last song, The Lady of Shalott. Heard a carol, mournful, holy, Chanted loudly, chanted lowly, Till her blood was frozen slowly, And her eyes were darkened wholly, Turned to towered Camelot. For ere she reached upon the tide The first house by the water-side, Singing in her song she died, The Lady of Shalott. Under tower and balcony, By garden-wall and gallery, A gleaming shape she floated by, Dead-pale between the houses high, Silent into Camelot. Out upon the wharfs they came, Knight and burgher, lord and dame, And round the prow they read her name, The Lady of Shalott. Who is this? and what is here? And in the lighted palace near Died the sound of royal cheer; And they crossed themselves for fear, All the knights at Camelot: But Lancelot mused a little space; He said, "She has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace, The Lady of Shalott." tl;dr: [MEDIA=youtube]K5v7SAW3tlU[/MEDIA] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Geek Talk & Media
What is the single best epic poem of all time?
Top