Final answer:
In the poem 'The Lady of Shalott' by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Merlin realizes he should have chosen Lancelot to protect Camelot when he speaks to the Lady of the Lake.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the poem 'The Lady of Shalott' by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Merlin realizes that he should have chosen Lancelot to protect Camelot when he speaks to the Lady of the Lake. In the poem, the Lady of Shalott is cursed to weave in a tower and can only see the outside world through a mirror. When she sees Lancelot through the mirror, she can no longer resist the temptation to look directly at Camelot, which ultimately leads to her doom.