Lamia Flashcards
in part 1 of the poem, who is in amorous pursuit of a nymph who encounters Lamia, a serpent?
God Hermes
How does Lamia turn into a woman form?
when she promises God Hermes that she will restore to him the nymph for this gift
Where does Lamia meet Lycius?
in Corinth
Who is Lycius?
a young philsopher with whom she had loved
Where do Lamia and Lycius retire?
to a fairy palace which is invisible to everyone in the city, shut away from the “busy world”
In classical mythology who was Lamia?
she was a queen who was robbed of her children and seduced strangers only to devour them.
How does part 2 of the poem start?
with a blast of trumpets which pierces their secluded magical retreat, prompting Lycius to think of the world outside.
What prompts Lycius to think of the world outside his fairy palace with Lamia?
the blast of trumpets which begins part 2 of the poem and pierces their secluded magical retreat
Who does Lamia beg Lycius not to invite?
the philosopher Apollonius, his former tutor
Who is able to distinguish illusion from reality?
Apollonius
What does Apollonius say to Lycius at the end of the poem?
that he will not see him made a “serpents prey”
What has Lamia generated more than any other of Keats’ poems?
allegorical readings
What is the purpose of the first part of the poem between the Nymph and the God Hermes to the rest of the poem?
The dream and love between Gods is portrayed as simple and easily fulfilled. Lamia is transformed into a woman and thus is subjected to then world of mortals where love is complex and impossible,
What is lamia’a nature at the beginning of the poem?
It is deceptive as a shape shifter, and associated to demons and madness
What does the foam from Lamia’s mouth do?
it makes the grass wither and die
