Lamia

Question 1

Quote describing Lamia’s appearance as a snake

Answer 1

‘palpitating snake/Bright, and circe-couchant’

Question 2

Quote about immortal dreams

Answer 2

‘Real are the dreams of Gods, and smoothly pass/ Their pleasures in a long immortal dream.’

Question 3

Quote about immortal love

Answer 3

‘Nor they grew pale, as mortal lovers do.’

Question 4

Example of classical allusion

Answer 4

‘Orpheus-like at an Eurycide.’

Question 5

Quote emphasising deception/sexuality

Answer 5

‘playing woman’s part’

Question 6

Narrative intrusion end of part 1

Answer 6

’ ‘Twould humour many a heart to leave them thus.’

Question 7

Quote personifying love

Answer 7

‘Love, jealous grown of so complete a pair.’

Question 8

Quote about hubris

Answer 8

‘His foolish heart from its mad pompousness’

Question 9

Quote about logic/imagination

Answer 9

‘Philosophy will clip an Angel’s wings’

Question 10

End of poem, impact of Apollonius’ outburst

Answer 10

‘empty of delight’

Question 11

Analysis of ‘palpitating snake/ Bright and circe-couchant’

Answer 11

• Miltonic personification of serpentine sin, Christian context Garden of Eden
• Connotations of betrayal and deviancy due to her lying in wait and the phallic connotations of ‘palpitating snake’ painting her as a femme fatale, also her as a snake reminds of the devouring power of love
• Fanny Brawne Lamia-like figure ‘How I applied this to you, my dear; how I palpitated at it’
• ‘circe-couchant’ has lexical affinity with Circe, great enchantress who turned Odysseus’ followers into pigs, implications of her as tragic antagonist?

Question 12

Analysis of ‘Real are the dreams of Gods, and smoothly pass/ Their pleasures in a long immortal dream.’

Answer 12

• Dramatic comparison to dream/reality
• Dreams of mortals deceptive and complex
• Juxtapostion of fulfilled immortal love
• Implies disruption will be caused by Lamia and Lycius’ immortal/ mortal pairing, ‘forbidden entanglement’ Christian concept

Question 13

Analysis of ‘Nor they grew pale, as mortal lovers do.’

Answer 13

• Happy conclusion of Endymion turned into cautionary motto
• For Gods means and ends are simultaneous yet such ‘flight’ is shown to be mere fantasy for mortals
• Concludes introductory framing device- deviation from Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy- purpose of adding another layer of complexity and negative capability juxtaposes relative simplicity of immortal love to Lamia and Lycius

Question 14

‘Orpheus-like at an Eurydice’

Answer 14

• Classical allusion
• Lycius as tragic victim and infatuation as undoing/fatal flaw
• Association with vulnerable man, accentuating Lamia’s feminine sexuality and power, paints her as femme fatale

Question 15

‘playing woman’s part’

Answer 15

• ‘playing’ suggests deception and exploitation
• Innuendo implying sexual union
• Burton’s simple message- don’t have sex with Lamia. Too simple for Keats who recognised supernatural sex would be immensely satisfying yet was likely to prove harmful
• Mortal man/ immortal woman symbolised for Keats ‘the human yearning to retain forever the apex of passionate intensity’
• Leads to Christian perspective portrayed by Apollonius as this portrayed ‘forbidden entanglement’ between mortal and immortal meaning they should be punished and damned

Question 16

’ ‘Twould humour many a heart to leave them thus’

Answer 16

• Narrative intrusion accompanies structural shift from part 1 where false hope was built to part 2 as tragic inevitability takes hold
• Foreshadows tragic fate, presage of doom
• ‘many’- wider interest in tragedy. Public crucial as Lycius shows off to them and they take role of Greek chorus

Question 17

‘Love, jealous grown of so complete a pair,’

Answer 17

• Personification of love as Cupid
• Love portrayed as antagonist, responsible for downfall ‘forbidden entanglement’ Christian notion, mortal love perennially doomed
• Tragic inevitability

Question 18

‘His foolish heart from its mad pompousness’

Answer 18

• Narrator’s opprobrium of Lycius juxtaposes favourable view of Lamia dressing for unwanted wedding, creates pathos
• Hubris, pride wanting to display love fatal flaw
• Shift of sympathy to Lamia

Question 19

‘Philosophy will clip an Angel’s wings’

Answer 19

• Enlightenment vs. Romanticism
• Logic destroys beauty, Apollonius destroys Lamia/ their love
• Philosophy sees through corruption yet has nothing to replace its delight
• Negative capability celebrating uncertainty vs. logic
• Apollonius same function as brothers in Isabella, brings world of cold reality into lover’s secret and intimate world
• Nietzsche’s theory of tragedy: Apollonian and Dionysian need to be equal or else tragedy
• Hegel’s theory two ‘right’ sides yet wrong in their failure to acknowledge each other

Question 20

‘empty of delight’

Answer 20

• Cruelty of logic
• Apollonius tragic antagonist as he destroys Lamia, Lycius and their love
• Negative capability blurred lines victim/villain hero/villain
• Informed by Keats’ personal experience of death
• Lycius’ subsequent death suggest even if love is mirage puncturing this is a cruelty akin to murder, philosophy shown to devastate soul that put its trust in beauty