The Modern Lady of Shalott

    As I was reading “The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, I immediately thought of “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry. There are parts of the song that remind me of the poem, but the music video really brings this to life. This poem is retold through a modern perspective. Although not obvious at first, this song has several references to the poem. 

    One of the first lines in the song says "Send me away with the words of a love song". Although it is not clear what the lady of Shalott is singing, as the boat travels down the river, she could be heard "singing her last song". The song is important to the poem because it is all the villagers know about the lady. They do not see her and she only sees a reflection of them. Her song is the last thing anyone hears from her.

    Perry also sings "And I'll be wearing white, when I come into your kingdom" which parallels that the lady is "robed in snowy white". The white represents how innocent she is, but also how little she has been able to experience life. Being locked in a tower, she has not been able to live the life everyone else has. 

    In the music video, lead singer Kimberly Perry is seen lying in a boat and her brothers send her down the river. She is holding a book of poems by Tennyson and, in the last frame, the book opens to “The Lady of Shalott”. This allusion is intentional, as Perry mentions in an interview which can be read here. Being in the boat is the biggest allusion, besides showing the poem itself, because the lady travels towards Camelot in a boat. This is what leads to her death, though. Since she left the tower, she has been cursed and knows she will die, but it is worth it to her. 

    Luckily for Kimberly Perry, she sits up when her boat begins to sink and her brothers save her. The real lady of Shalott is not quite as lucky. She does not arrive to her destination alive due to the curse that has been placed upon her. The Band Perry is able to bring "The Lady of Shalott" to life, though. Since Kimberly had read the poem several times before writing this song, it only makes sense that the imagery would find its way into her lyrics. Tennyson's poem has beautiful imagery that is worth bringing to life.