La Belle Dame Sans Merci

Question 1

“The sedge has withered from the lake”

Answer 1

Keats uses pathetic fallacy to create an ominous tone, suggesting that the speaker is suffering from an illness which darken’s his perspective of the world.

Question 2

“Full beautiful - a faery’s child,”

Answer 2

Keats uses the archaic phrase “ faery’s child” to suggest that she is magical and otherworldly in the eyes of the speaker. The noun “faery” is symbolic of the speakers beliefs that this woman to be able to fix all his problems, grant all his wishes.

Question 3

“And sure in language strange she said -“

Answer 3

Keats uses “language strange” to again suggest that is woman is from a far, also implying that she was driven by love to travel great lengths to be with the speaker. The adjective “strange” emphasises the unusualness of this woman and her oddly enchanting nature.

Question 4

“And no birds sing”

Answer 4

Keats places this quote at the start and end of the poem to reinforce the harsh reality of life and that loneliness is inevitable all, which is implied from the cyclical structure.