Keats - La Belle Dame Flashcards
1
Q
Overview
A
- One of Keats most tragic and haunting poems, blending elements of the supernatural, love and death
- In ballard form, which reflects its folkloric roots and gives it a lyrical, haunting quality
- Title reflects to ‘the beautiful lady without mercy’, immediately suggesting themes of entrapment, fatal love and the destructive power of beauty
2
Q
Themes
A
- Supernatural
- Love
- Death
3
Q
Form and Structure
A
- ABCB
- Traditional Ballard Form
- 12 stanzas of 4 lines each
- Iambic pentameter with occasional shortened lines
4
Q
Q1: Sets tone of mystery and despair
A
“knight-at-arms, alone and palely loitering?”
5
Q
Q2: Introduces the lady as otherworldly
A
“I met a lady in the meads”
6
Q
Q3: Turning point where the knight falls into a dream
A
“And there she lulled me asleep”
7
Q
Q4: The knight dreams of others who have been ensnared by the lady
A
“I saw pale kings and princess too”
8
Q
Q5: The knight explains his desolation, unable to escape the spell of the lady
A
“And this is why I sojourn here, Alone and palely loitering”
9
Q
How does Keats depict the Knight’s suffering?
A
- His pale and haggard appearance mirrors the ghostly kings and warriors he dreams of
- The night is “alone and palely loitering”, symbolising his physical and emotional desolation
10
Q
How are nature and the supernatural linked in the poem?
A
- Nature mirrors the knight’s emotional state: the “withered” sedge reflects his desolation
- The lady, described as a “faery’s child, bridges the natural and supernatural realms, adding mystery and danger
