lamia Flashcards
‘Upon a time, before the faery broods’ opening
The poem’s opening suggests the theme of disenchantment because the creatures of Greek mythology, such as nymphs (mythical female inhabitants of forests and rivers) and satyrs (lustful woodland creatures who were half-man, half-goat) would be replaced by those of English fairy tales. King Oberon is the fairy king in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By the time Keats was writing this poem those fairies too had faded from belief, displaced by Enlightenment rationality.
‘When from this wreathed tomb shall I awake!’
Here Lamia is complaining to the messenger god Hermes near the beginning of the poem. She is trapped in her serpent form and longs to be human again, so that she can pursue romantic love with a handsome youth named Lycius whom she has seen in a vision. For Lamia freedom from entrapment means taking on human form and pursuing romantic love.
‘She seem’d, at once, some penanced lady elf / Some demon’s mistress, or the demon’s self.’
The god Hermes sees Lamia in her serpent form, he considers her possible identity, wondering if she is an elf forced to do some sort of penance by living as a serpent, or if she something more sinister, like a demon. The poem never fully clarifies who she is, leaving it up to the reader to decide.
‘His passion, cruel grown, took on a hue / Fierce and sanguineous as ‘twas possible.’
Lycius is refusing Lamia’s plea not to invite guests to a feast. Even though Lycius loves her, he enjoys the power he has over her. This cruelty in love is part of the poem’s suggestion of the darker sides of romantic love. It also makes it clear that simply viewing Lycius as prey and Lamia as predator is inaccurate, or at best an oversimplification.
‘Then with a frightful scream she vanished’
Like love or dreams or magic, the poem suggests, Lamia vanishes when faced with harsh reality. Apollonius reveals Lamia’s identity but this exposure does not benefit anyone. It kills not only Lamia but Lycius as well, suggesting that perhaps it would have been better if they had never faced reality. This suggests that the narrator’s sympathies lie with romance, illusion, and enchantment, even though he sets himself up as a voice of truth.
‘real are the dreams of Gods’
Keats’ telling us that human dreams are unrealistic, and only the Gods have dreams realistic enough to happen. Ironic as Lamia’s dream is unrealistic? But is it?- as it comes true.
‘his eyes had drunk her beauty up’
He is intoxicated by her good looks, he doesn’t see her for what she really is.
“The ever smitten Hermes empty left his golden throne bent warm on amorous theft”
“Ever smitten” suggests his folly in blindly pursuing the Nymph w/o consent. “Empty” suggests his abandoning of status perhaps, maybe going against his own beliefs. “Golden throne” emphasises high status and may be a reference to mythology (Midas touch). “Bent warm” may imply his use and abuse of his own status and power. “Amorous theft” suggests a quest as well as transgression of boundaries. It is juxtaposition to emphasise this.
Passion versus Reason
Apollonius, a philosopher, symbolizes pure reason, which is akin to the end of fantasies and enchantments. Lycius, a lover, avoids seeing Apollonius with the enchantress Lamia, as their mutual bliss temporarily shuts out reason. The tragic ending suggests that rationality, opposed to passion and beauty, is folly rather than wisdom.
Deception and Illusion
In Lamia Keats’ character, she deceives Lycius about her identity, constructing a house out of pure illusion. Despite their mutual passion, they are happy until Apollonius, a sharp-eyed guest, sees through the illusions. Lamia vanishes into thin air, leaving Lycius’s arms empty and his limbs limbless. Deception and illusion are often negative.
Romantic Love
The poem highlights the inability of romantic love to withstand clear-eyed reality, comparing it to a hermit’s fast. It highlights the dark side of love, revealing that it can involve power-play and cruelty. The narrator describes how love in a hut is like cinder, ashes, and dust, while love in a palace is more grievous torment. The poem also highlights the consequences of short-lived bliss, such as distrust and hate, resulting from short-lived bliss.
summary in order:
The Serpent’s Bargain
Lamia Meets Lycius
The Outside World Intrudes
The Wedding Feast
poetry of sensation:
Keats’ “Lamia” is a poem that emphasizes the importance of sensations over thought in revealing truth. The poem’s themes of passion and imagination contrast with cold reasoning, highlighting the fear that a moment’s thought is a passing bell. Keats praises sensation and its ability to create physical sensations in the reader. The poem’s style is rich in sensory detail, with sumptuous verse and animal comparisons. Other senses, like smell, are also evoked, particularly in the feast at Lamia’s house. The musicality of the poem is used to evoke sounds in the plot, and the use of enjambment adds to the smooth flow of descriptions.
