50 points
analyze one of three poems — "the lady of shalott" by alfred, lord tennyson, sonnet 50 by william shakespeare, or "grievance" by amy lowell — and then write a new poem that uses the same meter, rhyme scheme, and form as the one you analyzed. your original poem should be at least two stanzas long (about 8 lines), or exactly 14 lines if you're writing a sonnet.
your assignment should include the following elements:
an introduction paragraph with a hook and a thesis statement about the theme of the poem you've chosen to analyze
an analysis paragraph that describes the rhyme scheme and meter of your chosen poem
8 – 10 annotations that go into detail about the poetic elements in your chosen poem
an original poem that follows the same form (sonnet, ballad, or free verse) as the poem you've chosen to analyze

“The Lady of Shalott”

Complete Text

     PART I  

On either side the river lie  

Long fields of barley and of rye,  

That clothe the wold and meet the sky;  

And thro’ the field the road runs by  

     To many-tower’d 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  

Thro’ the wave that runs for ever  

By the island in the river  

     Flowing down to Camelot.  

Four gray walls, and four gray towers,  

Overlook a space of flowers,  

And the silent isle imbowers  

     The Lady of Shalott.  

By the margin, willow veil’d,  

Slide the heavy barges trail’d  

By slow horses; and unhail’d  

The shallop flitteth silken-sail’d  

     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 tower’d Camelot:  

And by the moon the reaper weary,  

Piling sheaves in uplands airy,  

Listening, whispers “ ’Tis the fairy  

     Lady of Shalott.”

Explanation:

Part I: The poem begins with a description of a river and a road that pass through long fields of barley and rye before reaching the town of Camelot. The people of the town travel along the road and look toward an island called Shalott, which lies further down the river. The island of Shalott contains several plants and flowers, including lilies, aspens, and willows. On the island, a woman known as the Lady of Shalott is imprisoned within a building made of “four gray walls and four gray towers.”

Both “heavy barges” and light open boats sail along the edge of the river to Camelot. But has anyone seen or heard of the lady who lives on the island in the river? Only the reapers who harvest the barley hear the echo of her singing. At night, the tired reaper listens to her singing and whispers that he hears her: “ ‘Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott.”