The Lady of the Lake

The Lady of the Lake is a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1810. Set in the Trossachs region of Scotland, it is composed of six cantos, each of which concerns the action of a single day. The poem has three main plots: the contest among three men, Roderick Dhu, James Fitz-James, and Malcolm Graeme, to win the love of Ellen Douglas; the feud and reconciliation of King James V of Scotland and James Douglas; and a war between the lowland Scots (led by James V) and the highland clans (led by Roderick Dhu of Clan Alpine). The poem was tremendously influential in the nineteenth century. Its influence is very vast: Schubert's Ave Maria, Rossini's La donna del lago (1819), the racist custom of cross burning, the last name of U.S. abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the song Hail to the Chief were all inspired by the poem.

The Scotsman Sir Walter Scott is still considered one of the greatest writers of the English language. His most famous and popular title is Ivanhoe, but he is also remembered for other works like The Lady of the Lake, Waverley, and The Bride of Lammermoor.