Isabella; or, the pot of basil Flashcards
‘Fed it with thin tears…beautiful it grew’
Extended metaphor encapsulates how Lorenzo’s death has led to such sadness in Isabella that she becomes psychologically consumed with the last remains of him.
‘and she forgot the stars, the moon and the sun’
anaphoric, highlights how her grief is all-consuming and emphasizes her tragic isolation from the outside world/reality.
‘O Melancholy, linger here a while!’
‘O, melancholy turn thine eyes away!’
Personification of melancholy (capital letter). Keats interjection. Parallel stanzas indicating that Isabella’s situation has now become so dire that Melancholy is instructed to look away (imperative verbs). Could symbolise her ultimately low point in the poem. Foreshadowing of death - which is soon to be her fate. Evokes pathos.
‘contrived to steal the basil pot’
The brothers’ feeling of guilt was superficial, secrecy and stealing is a characterisation of the. Adds to them as tragic villains and also emphasises that they feat that the basil serves as evidence of their crimes which could expose them.
‘and so she pined, and so she died forlorn’
Parallelism within the lines insinuates the connection between her grief in ‘pined’ and her death in ‘died’.
‘his image in the dusk’
The truth has been revealed to Isabella in dream states showing Lorenzo as a ghost-like figure. Peripeteia of the tragedy.
‘the breath of winter’
‘thou leadest me to summer clime’
Pathetic fallacy. Initially their love has metaphorical powers to be able to change seasons. But winter manifests a foreboding tone connoting death and isolation.
‘that paleness warms my grave’
Her loss has made her ill yet her presence warms him. Juxtaposition suggests she is able to give him a sense of mortality in death.
‘upon the murderous spot she seem’d to grow’
Her grief had sparked a sense of vitality within her giving her the power to be close with Lorenzo once again.
‘its eyes, though wild, were still all dewy bright’
Enjambed line emphasises the elongated, continuing nature of their love, his eyes are able to bring her back to her love and he has the power to enchant her.
‘by gradual decay from beauty fell’
Isabella pines and grows ill. She loses her beauty, which is what her brothers plan to use to gain a dowry from marrying her to a rich man, when they lose this they begin to feel suffocated by their crimes, evoking guilt. Almost serves as anagnorisis for them.
‘poor simple isabel!’
Pathos built up from the outset. The epithetical description is foreshadowing as it becomes evident that this is a tragedy.
‘a young palmer in loves eye!’
This creates an undesirable distance between the lovers. Gap is because of Lorenzo’s lower class, he is aware of this.
‘sick longing’
Their obsessive yearning and minds anguish has an unhealthy aspect, bringing physical pain to both of them. Semantic field of illness.
A
Seemingly they are entrapped in a passionate love, yet the pessimistic language used here implies some impediment that will eventually be revealed.
‘sweet isabella’s untouched cheek fell sick within the rose’s just domain’
The rose symbolises romance and passion, but also their transient love. Flowers wither and eventually die, the roses ‘just domain’ portrays its ability to stimulate and nurture love until its tragic end.
