The Virtual Coffeehouse

The language used in this poem is very descriptive, and seems to read more like a novel than a poem. While reading the poem, the language encourages the reader to create a picture in their mind. Therefore, I can see why a person of artistic ability would want to actually paint the image that the poem creates for them.

I also think it's about the images that the poem creates. The poem is a lot more visual rather than narrative - Tennyson doesn't so much discuss emotions or thoughts (non-tangible things), rather he wants the reader to see/hear the events for themselves. Every stanza actually has a mention of a color in it as if it was particularly important for the poet to ensure that his readers pictured the scene in a specifc way. Rather than simply saying that a prince rode in to Camelot it is specifically outlined that he had black curls, instead of just mentioning that the Lady of Shalott is held in a castle we are told that the castle was gray with gray walls. In addition to colors Tennyson makes particular mention of the kinds of clothes that each character wears, something that most poets don't generally focus their readers' attention on.