Question

In this excerpt from "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, how does the repetition of words in the first four lines affect the narrative?
She left the web, she left the loom,

She made three paces thro' the room,

She saw the water lily bloom,

She saw the helmet and the plume,

She look'd down to Camelot.

Out flew the web and floated wide;

The mirror crack'd from side to side;

"The curse is come upon me," cried

The Lady of Shalott.


A. It hints that the fate of the subject was inevitable.

B. It implies that the subject's actions were monotonous.

C. It suggests that the narrative is about to end.

D. It builds a sense of anticipation and mystery.

Answer 1

I believe the correct answer is D. It builds a sense of anticipation and mystery.
This is the moment when Lady of Shalott is about to make her fatal transgression and activate the curse. She is never supposed to look directly outside the window. Yet, here she is very intrigued by what she thinks is there - the young and handsome knight Lancelot.