Make
a little room in your plans for romance again, Anne, girl. All the
degrees and scholarships in the world can't make up for the lack of it.
Anne
of Green Gables
&
the sequel
.
Anne Shirley - one of the sweetest, most inspirational characters ever.
An orphan adopted by Matthew Cuthbert, and his sister Marilla; Anne was
as much a dreamer whilst a child as she was when she became an adult.
During her childhood she had a tendency to get herself in trouble as she
followed her free spirit into the depths of her imagination.
Gilbert Blyth - he fell in love with the girl with 'carrot' coloured hair
the first day he saw her at school. He loved her through their childhood,
and he loved her as she grew into a beautiful young lady - with auburn
hair!
We were devastated to see Anne refuse his marriage proposal after a sweet
encounter at Diana's (her best friend - a kindred spirit!) wedding.
We were shocked to think she may marry someone else when the offer came.
It was terrible to think that Gilbert may have fallen in love with, and
proposed to someone else. But we were taken to tears when Anne discovered
that Gilbert was dying - and that she did, in fact, love him. It
seems quite true that you do not realise what you've got until it's taken
(or almost) away. In the tradition of *great* love stories, we are
made wait and wait until Anne discovers her love for her chum Gil, but
will he die and leave her regretful? Of course not - because this
movie is a classic with the beautiful, perfect ending.
.
.
"Ruby
Gillis says when she grows up, she wants to have a line of beaus on a string
and make them crazy for her. I'd rather have ONE in his rightful mind."
.
There were saddnesses along the way - tragedy and heartache, but love wins
out in the end. Anne is an inspiration for us romantics who feel
an affiliation with her dreams and free spirit which aides us through the
harder times in life.
.
"Tomorrow
is always fresh with no mistakes in it."
.
[Anne's
deeply depressed, and Marilla tries to cheer her up by offering her some
plum puffs.]
Anne Shirley: Plum puffs won't minister
to a mind diseased... and a world just crumbled into pieces.
Marilla Cuthbert:
Well I'm glad to see that your dented spirits haven't injured your tongue.
.
Whether a child or an adult, any romantic can not help but love the books
by L.M. Montgomery and the movies (Anne of Green Gables, 1995; Anne of
Avonlea/ AoGG the Sequel, 1987) starring Megan Follows as Anne and Jonathan
Crombie as Gilbert, plus other extraordinary cast. Don't miss
this classic.
.
Anne:
There's a book of revelations in everyone's
life.
.
Anne: It's
not what the world holds for you. It's what you bring to it.
.
The Lady of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennyson
PART
ONE
On
either side of the river lie
Long
fields of barley and of rye,
That
clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And
thro' the field the road runs by
To
many-tower'd Camelot;
And
up and down the people go,
Gazing
where the lilies blow
Round
an island there below,
The
island of Shalott.
.
Willows
whiten, aspens quiver,
Little
breezes dusk and shiver
Thro'
the wave that runs for ever
By
the island in the river
Flowing
down to Camelot.
Four
gray walls, and four gray towers,
Overlook
a space of flowers,
And
the silent isle imbowers
The
Lady of Shalott.
.
By
the margin, willow-veil'd,
Slide
the heavy barges trail'd
By
slow horses; and unhail'd
The
shallop flitteth silken-sail'd
Skimming
down to Camelot:
But
who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or
at the casement seen her stand?
Oris
she known in all the land,
The
Lady of Shalott?
.
Only
reapers, reaping early
In
among the bearded barley,
Hear
a song that echoes cheerly
From
the river winding clearly,
Down
to tower'd Camelot:
And
by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling
sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening,
whispers 'Tis the fairy
Lady
of Shalott'
.
PART
II
There
she weaves by night and day
A
magic web with colour gay.
She
has heard a whisper say,
A
curse is on her if she stay
To
look down to Camelot.
She
knows not what the curse may be,
And
so she weaveth steadily,
And
little other care hath she,
The
Lady of Shalott.
.
And
moving thro' a mirror clear
That
hangs before her all the year,
Shadows
of the world appear.
There
she sees the highway near
Winding
down to Camelot:
There
the river eddy whirls,
And
there the surly village-churls,
And
the red cloaks of market girls,
Pass
onward from Shalott.
.
Sometimes
a troop of damsels glad,
An
abbot on an ambling pad,
Sometimes
a curly shepherd-lad,
Or
long-hair'd page in crimson clad,
Goes
by to tower'd Camelot;
And
sometimes thro' the mirror blue
The
knights come riding two and two:
She
hath no loyal knight and true,
The
Lady of Shalott.
.
But
in her web she still delights
To
weave the mirror's magic sights,
For
often thro' the silent nights
A
funeral, with plumes and lights
And
music, went to Camelot:
Or
when the moon was overhead,
Came
two young lovers lately wed;
'I
am half sick of shadows,' said
The
Lady of Shalott.
.
PART
III
A
bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He
rode between the barley-sheaves,
The
sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,
And
flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of
bold Sir Lancelot.
A
red-cross knight for ever kneel'd
To
a lady in his shield,
That
sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside
remote Shalott.
.
The
gemmy bridle glitter'd free,
Like
to some branch of stars we see
Hung
in the golden Galaxy.
The
bridle bells rang merrily
As
he rode down to Camelot:
And
from his blazon'd baldric slung
A
mighty silver bugle hung,
And
as he rode his armour rung,
Beside
remote Shalott.
.
All
in the blue unclouded weather
Thick-jewll'd
shone the saddle-leather,
The
helmet and the helmet-feather
Burn'd
like one burning flame together,
As
he rode down to Camelot.
As
often thro' the purple night,
Below
the starry clusters bright,
Below
the starry clusters bright,
Some
bearded meteor, trailing light,
Moves
over still Shalott.
.
His
broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
On
burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
From
underneath his helmet flow'd
His
coal-black curls as on he rode,
As
he rode down to Camelot.
From
the bank and from the river
He
flash'd into the crystal mirror,
'Tirra
lirra,' by the river
Sang
Sir Lancelot.
.
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 m,' cried
The
Lady of Shalott.
.
PART
IV
In
the stormy east-wind straining,
The
pale yellow woods were waning,
The
broad stream in his banks complaining,
Heavily
the low sky raining
Over
tower'd Camelot;
Down
she came and found a boat
Beneath
a willow left afloat,
And
round about the prow she wrote
The
Lady of Shalott
.
And
down the river's dim expanse
Like
some bold seer in a trance,
Seeing
all his own mischance -
With
a glassy countenance,
Did
she look to Camelot.
And
at the closing of the day
She
loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The
broad stream bore her far away,
The
Lady of Shalott.
.
Lying,
robed in snowy white
That
loosely flew to left and right -
The
leaves upon her falling light -
Thro'
the noises of the night
She
floated down to Camelot:
And
as the boat-head wound along the willowy hills and fields among,
They
heard her singing her last song,
The
Lady of Shalott.
.
Heard
a carol, mournful, holy,
Chanted
loudly, chanted lowly,
Till
her blood was frozen slowly,
And
her eyes were darken'd wholly,
Turn'd
to tower'd Camelot.
Fore
ere she reach'd upon the tide
The
first house by the water-side,
Singin
in her song she died,
The
Lady of Shalott.
.
Under
tower and balcony,
By
garden-wall and gallery,
A
gleaming shape she floated by,
Dead-pale
between the houses high,
Silent
into Camelot.
Out
upon the wharfs they came,
Knight
and burgher, lord and dame,
And
round the prow they read her name
The
Lady of Shalott.
.
Who
is this? and what is here?
And
in the lighted palace near
Died
the sound of royal cheer;
And
they cross'd themselves for fear,
All
the knights at Camelot:
But
Lancelot mused a little space;
He
said, 'She has a lovely face;
God
in his mercy lend her grace,
The
Lady of Shalott.'
.
Go
Back Home
Back
to Romantic Movies of the 80s & 90s
.
.
If you like Anne you may like these sites:
Kindred
Connections
Anne
of Green Gables page
Anne
of Green Gables links page
Nancy's
Anne Page
yet another site
entitled Anne
of Green Gables
Written material copyrighted by Sarah
1997.