Lamia Flashcards
What happens in this poem?
Lamia (a serpent) reveals a nymph for Hermes who grants her wish of being transformed into a woman. As a woman she falls in love with Lycius and after meeting Apollonius, who brings danger, they decide to isolate themselves in a hut. There love continues but Lycius pines for the natural world and so asks Lamia for her hand in marriage as a scapegoat, she agrees but says Apollonius can’t attend. At their wedding, Lycius allows Apollonius to enter even after he warned him about his intentions. Apollonius sees Lamia and it is only until he says ‘serpent’ that she disappears and Lycius dies as a result of losing her.
How to address the structure?
2 parts - split between presentation of Lanka and what world she is experiencing
Ideas in chronological order
Starts in world of mythology and fantasy but ends in world of reality - sense that rationality is more dominant, provides more security and reason
Lycius’ desire for time not to be short lived contradicts the length of the poem - perhaps this is what encourages him to ask for Lamias hand in marriage
Dramatic irony - initial dismissal of Lycius is false as we know her true feelings
Part 2 - reinforces inevitability of his death, ‘had Lycius lived’
Nymphs tale mirrors Lamias tale - suffering/pain comes with being revealed
What language features does Keats use?
Richly sensuous descriptions
Language captures physical transformation
Language related to a snake used to reinforce Lamias natural form
Sibilance reinforces Lamias ‘serpent’ form
Multi-sensory
Deletions of eyes reinforces issues with appearance vs reality and blindness vs insight
Motif - fairy tale concept
Simplistic and dramatic language when Keats need us to understand something
Enjambment creates sense of fluidity - creates tension and unstoppable momentum
Allegorical meaning of poem - disastrous to separate sensuous/emotional life for life of reason
What is the form of the poem
Narrative poem
Contradictory tone in presentation of Lamia - ambiguous character
Use of heroic couplets - more buoyant feel
Verse form allows Keats to introduce a cynical, world weary voice into poem, reminding the readers of how seriously human experience falls short of moral perfection
Tone is at odds with violent and magical events of narrative
Perspective changes - Lamia, Lycius to Apollonius
Use of dialogue and narrative
How would you address A03?
Romantics:
Valued emotion over reason and emphasises a glorification and appreciation of nature
Valued individual expression of emotion and imagination
Social commentary:
World can destroy imagination if they fail to go along with it and take it too seriously, rationality isn’t always positive
Apollonius - philosopher, represents rationality and reason, divorced from emotion
Who is the protagonist (tragic hero)?
Lamia:
‘He found a palpitating snake’
‘Her eyes in torture fixed and anguish drear’
‘Not one hour old, yet of sciential brain’
‘The serpent’
‘‘Twas ivy, and the cold ran through his veins’
What is her fatal flaw?
Lamia isn’t able to hide her true identity from Apollonius, the only person who can view people for who they are
Is there an element of fate?
During her transformation the pain and suffering she has endured indicates her fate by suggesting the unnatural ness of the situation reflects the consequences which she will sustain
Lamia will have a relationship with a ‘youth of Corinth’ because this motivated her to transform into a woman
What is her peripeteia?
‘It’s Apollonius sage, my trusty guide’ - her fear encourages the reader to believe that he will affect her fortune
Symbolism of a wedding is subverted as it brings about their tragic outcome
‘Had fixed eye, without a twinkle or stir’ - he changes their fortune as their happiness transforms into a tragedy, movement form love bringing pleasure to pain
Treatment of nymph is mirrored in her attempt to remain ‘unseen’ but is actually revealed
What is her hamartia?
Lamias decision to enter the mortal world
Her desire to become a woman
Lamias belief that Lycius will stay in the ‘hut’ and not pine ‘the noisy world almost forlorn’
What is her hubris?
Lamias pride in having knowledge, ‘not one hour old, yet of sciential brain’ - she wants to appear knowledgeable even in her inexperience
Pride in her womanly features which are transformed from her serpent form - uses to her advantage
What is her anagnorisis?
‘I’m wearied…’ - when Lamia sees Apollonius and realised that he will destroy her
Is there a cathartic (pity) element?
Pity/ sympathise with Lamia as she transforms from a serpent to a woman - why is she putting herself through things suffering? Is it really worth the suffering? On reflection it isn’t worth it knowing her end
Lamias suffering in the end - disappears unknown but her previous suffering being in a luminal frozen state when Apollonius ‘has fixed his eye’
Lamia doesn’t have anyone, pitiful - ‘but this fair unknown had not a friend’
Who is the villain (antagonist)?
Lamia:
Reveals the nymph - no loyalties, betrays her for her own benefit not thinking about the consequences
Calculated nature in her first encounter with Lycius - use of an enchantment
Apollonius:
Reveals Lamia true form which triggers the tragedy and suffering - not something he endures, just witnesses
Rationality destroys the imagination and fantasy
Lycius:
‘Fierce and sanguineous’ - becomes frustrated in Lamias silence when he considers marriage
His desire to show her off to outside world
His acceptance of Apollonius presence at wedding brings about their downfall - responsibility can’t be neglected/forgotten
What makes there tragic outcome inevitable?
‘Had Lycius lived’ - inevitability of his death
‘For truths sake, what woe afterwards befell’ - the inevitability of a later tragedy, commenting on how comforting it would be if the narrative stopped here in a moment of happiness/bliss
The revelation of ‘unseen nymph’ and the price she has to pay mirrors the inevitability of Lamia paying a price as she ‘neighboured to him, and yet so unseen’
Presentation of Apollonius, her fear makes his role inevitable in their tragedy
