James Sprouls

"The Lady of Shalott" - I am now 76 years old, and I remember reading "The Lady of Shalott" in high school (English), and strongly IDENTIFYING with it (with the Lady's situation) - I, myself, have viewed "life" as "DANGEROUS"! I think there are MANY treacheries in "life", that, IF one partakes, or gets caught up in, can RUIN one's "life" - anything, a lot being "addictions" - and also SEX! Now, reading some of what Tennyson apparently meant, or inferred - has to DO with sex - lots of dangers, resulting from the "allure" of sex - from EMOTIONAL, to unwanted pregnancy, to diseases (this is coming from a MALE, at least THIS male's, point of view) - enough concerning sex - there are lots of other pitfalls in life, that one must "guard against", in order to SAVE one's life - meaning mainly FREEDOM - from worry, debt, or whatever else - WITHOUT these "treacheries", LIFE CAN BE BEAUTIFUL! Anyway, I think "The Lady" found SAFETY, in viewing life "remotely".- and when she "broke the mirror", and encountered "REALITY", she perished. (As per the poem, a CURSE had been placed on her.) I find myself living pretty much in a "fantasy world", and I pretty much like it that way! My "5 star rating" goes for the poem, NOT for my review!! The foregoing is part review, part anecdotal, on my part.