What is the literal meaning of this poem? The Lady of Shalott

She floats down the river in a boat. Along the way she dies. When her body arrives in Camelot, the other knights are afraid of her, but Sir Lancelot thinks she is lovely and says a prayer for her.

Explanation:

The poem "The Lady of Shallot" is a lyrical ballad by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It tells the story of a lady locked in a tower, cursed if she ever look towards Camelot.

In the poem, we see the Lady of Shallot content with looking at the mirror image of Camelot, for there is a curse if she ever look at it directly. But when she hears the voice of Sir Lancelot singing, riding on his horse, she couldn't restrain herself any longer with the 'imaginary' world of the mirror. So, she gazed directly towards Camelot and eventually gets cursed. The mirror cracks, and knowing she is already under the curse, she left the tower and floats towards Camelot. But on the way, she died due to the cold and when her body arrives in Camelot, Sir Lancelot says she's beautiful and said a prayer for her.