Final answer:
The central themes of "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred Lord Tennyson are isolation and longing, as well as art and sacrifice. The poem's protagonist is trapped in a life of solitude, yearning for a more direct engagement with the world that ultimately leads to her sacrifice.
Step-by-step explanation:
Two central themes that best identify Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott" are isolation and longing, as well as art and sacrifice. These themes reflect the condition of the Lady of Shalott who is confined to her tower, only able to experience the world outside through the reflections in a mirror. 'I am half sick of shadows,' she declares, expressing her deep longing to live a life beyond the secondhand experiences her isolation affords. Her art, the weaving of her web, becomes both her solace and her curse. This eventually leads to her sacrifice, when she leaves her loom to gaze directly upon Sir Lancelot, triggering the curse that leads to her death.