POEM—THE LADY OF SHALOT—BY ALFRED TENNYSON-P-8

That sparkled on the yellow field, 
Beside remote Shalott.

• Check out how often the speaker reminds us where we are. Here he mentions the field of barley again, and the "remote" island of Shalott.
• It's pretty unlikely that you forgot about these natural details, so we think this has more to do with how Tennyson gives the poem its rhythm.

The gemmy bridle glittered free, 
Like to some branch of stars we see
Hung in the golden Galaxy.

• Brace yourself for a long description of Lancelot, with some unfamiliar words.
• This is the major shift in the plot, so the speaker has to get us really invested in Lancelot. He starts out by comparing his jewel-covered bridle (the gear that fits over the horse's head) to a constellation of stars in the sky.

The bridle bells rang merrily 
As he rode down to Camelot:

• We also learn that the bridle has ringing bells on it, and that Lancelot is headed down the river, towards Camelot.

And from his blazoned baldric slung 
A mighty silver bugle hung, 
And as he rode his armour rung, 
Beside remote Shalott.

• Lancelot apparently also has a strap or belt across his shoulder called a "baldric." It's specially decorated, or "blazon'd."
• Don't worry if these words are new to you. They would have seemed old-fashioned to readers in the nineteenth century too. Tennyson uses them to give this poem a medieval feel.
• The baldric was often used to carry something, and Lancelot is toting a silver bugle (a horn that a knight could blow in battle). All this gear is making a lot of noise as he heads down the trail.

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.

• There's more description here, of the jewels on his saddle, and his helmet, (with a feather sticking out of it) which burns like a flame.
• The take-away point here is that Lancelot is about as impressive, manly, and cool-looking as he could possibly be – sort of a medieval rockstar. Definitely the kind of guy a lonely lady could fall in love with.

The author here created impression well that lonely lady could have been fall in love.