Lamia Flashcards
1
Q
How is Hermes described at the start?
A
- crowned with feathers, fluttering light … on a throne of gold
- like a stooped falcon ere he takes his prey
- Real are the dreams of Gods and smoothly pass their pleasures in a long immortal dream
- Too gentle Hermes
2
Q
How is Hermes’ passion described?
A
- ever smitten Hermes empty left his golden throne bent warm on amorous theft
- celestial heat burnt from his winged heels … whiteness as the lily clear blushed into roses
- so he rested on the lonely ground, pensive, and full of painful jealousies
- he burned + warm flushed moment
3
Q
How is Lamia described at the start?
A
- beauteous wreath with melancholy eyes
- some penanced lady’s elf, some demon’s mistress or the demon’s self
- smooth lipped serpent + swift lisping
- found a palpitating snake, bright and cirque-couchant in dusky brake
- her head was serpent but ah bitter sweet
- her throat was serpent but the words she spake came though as bubbling honey
4
Q
How is Lamia’s beauty described?
A
- gloomier tapestries - so rainbow sided touched with miseries
- full of silver moons + sprinkled with stars
- dazzling hue, vermillion spotted golden, green and blue: striped like a zebra freckled like a pard
5
Q
How is the setting described?
A
- from rushed green and brakes and cowslipped lawns
- from vale to vale, from wood to wood
- rugged founts + wild hills
- ridge whose barren back stretches with all its mist and cloudy rack
- about a young bird’s flutter from a wood
6
Q
How is the nymph described?
A
- her loveliness invisible yet free to wander as she loves in liberty
- sweet nymph
- by my power her beauty is veiled to keep it unaffronted, unassailed by the love-glances from unlovely eyes
- thornless wilds: her pleasant days she tastes unseen
- poured pearls: while on land they withered and adored
7
Q
How is the nymph and Hermes’ love described?
A
- full of adoring tears
- she like a moon in wane, faded before him, cowered, nor could restrain her fearful sobs
- self folding like a flower
- god fostering her chilled hand … her eyelids opened bland
- deaf to his throbbing throat’s long long melodious moan
- nor grew they pale as mortal lovers do
8
Q
How is Lamia’s transformation described?
A
- now a lady bright, a full born beauty new and exquisite?
- by a clear pool wherein she passioned to see herself
- she was a maid more beautiful than ever twisted braid
- undressed of all her sapphires, greens and ameythst
- spoilt all her silver mail and golden brede, made gloom of all her frecklings, streaks and bars, eclipsed her crescents and licked up her stars
9
Q
How is her transformation painful?
A
- she writhed about, convulsed with scarlet pain, a deep volcanion yellow took the place
- her elfin blood ran in madness, her mouth foamed
- her eyes in torture fixed … hot, glazed and wide, with lid-lashes all sear flashed phosphor and sharp sparks
10
Q
How is Lamia’s love described?
A
- a virgin purest lipped yet in the lore of love deep learned to the red hearts core
- As though in cupid’s college she had spent sweet days a lovely graduate still unshent
- and love and pleasure and the ruddy strife of hearts and lips. Ah miserable me
- new voice luting soft cried Lycius, Gentle Lycius
- she was a woman … the self-same pains inhabited her frail strung heart
- began to sing, happy in beauty, life and love and everything … the stars drew in their panting fires
11
Q
How is Lycius first described?
A
- his silent sandals swept the mossy green
- shut up in mysteries
- charioting foremost in the envious race like a young Jove with calm and uneager face
- perhaps grown wearied of their Corinth talk, over the solitary hills he fared
12
Q
How does Lamia entice Lycius?
A
- Her neck regal white turned
- her soft look growing coy
- every word she spake enticed him on so unperplexed delight and pleasures known
- so delicious were the words she sung
- of thine harmonious sisters keep in tune
13
Q
How is Lycius’ love described?
A
- so sweetly to these ravished ears of mine came thy sweet greeting, that if thou shouldst fade why memory will waste me to a shade
- Lycius from death awoke into amaze
- his eyes had drunk her beauty up, leaving no drop in the bewildering cup and still the cup was full
- even as thou vanishest so I shall die
14
Q
How is Lycius’ ignorance described?
A
- blinded Lycius
- reason fades in the calmed twilight of platonic shades
- passed the city gates he knew not how, no noiseless, and he never thought to know
- Wherefore did you blind yourself from his quick eyes?
15
Q
How does Lamia prove manipulating and deceiving?
A
- What canst thou say or do of charm enough to dull the nice rememberance of my home?
- cruel lady + the life she had so tangled in her mesh
- gentle Lamia … playing woman’s part
- in the serpent prison house
- her dream with feast and rioting to blend
- empty of immortality and bliss
16
Q
How is Lycius’ heartbreak described?
A
- bidding him raise his drooping head and clear his soul of doubt
- swooned, murmuring of love and pale with pain
17
Q
How is Corinth described?
A
- populous streets and temples lewd muttered
- threw their moving shadows on the wall, or found them clustered in the corniced shade of some arched temple door or dusky colonnade
- wide spreaded night
18
Q
How is Appolonius described and the reaction to him?
A
- muffling his face of greeting friends in fear
- sharp eyes + slow stepped and robed in philosophic gown
- hurried Lamia trembled. Ah said he. Why do you shudder love so ruefully?
- my trusty guide and good instructor: but tonight he seems the ghost of folly haunting my sweet dreams
19
Q
How is Lamia and Lycius’ escape described?
A
- shut from the busy world of more incredulous
- what woe afterwards befell them
- mild as a star in water
- silver lamp whose phosphor glow + marble hue
- unveiled the summer heaven, blue and clear
- purple lined palace of sweet sin
- pillared porch with lofty portal door
20
Q
How does their love develop?
A
- her sorrows soft and new. his passion cruel grown
- foolish heart from its mad pompousness
- pale contented sort of discontent
- love in a hut is love forgive us cinder ashes dust
- love jealous grown of so complete a pair hovered and buzzed his wings with fearful roar
- my silver planet
- how to entangle, trammel up and snare your soul in mine, and labyrinth you there like the hid scent in an unbudded rose
21
Q
How are Lamia’s vulnerabilities described?
A
- stronger fancy to reclaim her wild and timid nature
- I have no friends said Lamia. No not one
- pale and meek + wept a rain of sorrows + Lady’s cheek trembled
22
Q
How is Lycius’ doubts described?
A
- a moment’s thought is passion’s passing bell
- sure some sweet name thou hast
- deafening the swallow’s twitter came a thrill of trumpets. Lycius started. The sounds fled but left a thought, a buzzing in his head.
23
Q
How is the wedding described?
A
- lay an untasted feast teeming with odours
- how to dress the misery in fit magnificence
- mimicking a glade + haunting music + creeping imagery + whole charm might fade
- closed, hushed and still complete and ready for the revels rude when dreadful guests would come to spoil her solitude
- wine came from the gloomy tun with merry shine + merry wine, sweet wine
- each guest with busy brain + entered marvelling
- flushed were their cheeks and bright eyes, double bright
- roof of awful richness, nectarous cheer, beautiful slaves
- loud revelry grew hush, the stately music no more breathes
24
Q
How does Appolonius act at the wedding?
A
- so in they hurried all, mazed curious and keen save one who looked thereon with eye severe and with calm planted steps
- the sophists eye, like a sharp spear, went through her utterly, keen cruel, perceant, stinging
- infest with an unbidden presence the bright throng of younger friends
- fool, fool + shall I see thee made a serpent’s prey?
- shut shut those juggling eyes thou ruthless man + grey beard wretch
- had fixed his eye, without a twinkle or stir full on the alarmed beauty of the bride
25
Q
How is Lycius described at the end?
A
- Lycius’ arms were empty of delight as were his limbs of life: no pulse or breath they found and in its marriage robe the heavy body wound
- O senseless Lycius. Madman
- human sense reel: some hungry spell that loveliness absorbs
- nothing but the shriek with its sad echo did the silence break
- pressed her hand, with devout touch … ‘twas icy and the cold ran through his veins, then sudden it grew hot’
- lashless eyelids stretch around his demons eyes, my sweet bride withers at their potency
26
Q
How is Lamia described at the end?
A
- with a frightful scream she vanished
2. Lamia no longer fair, sat there a deadly white
27
Q
How does Keats challenge what Apollonius represents?
A
- philosophy will clip an angels wings
- do not all charms fly at the mere touch of cold philosophy?
- unlawful magic and enticing lies
