Lamia part 1 Flashcards
“Upon a time”
Keats immediately starts with a stereotypical fairy-tale opener. In a land of myth and a time of magic
“Nymph and Satyr”
The whole of Lamia is littered with Classical references to mythological creatures, gods and locations – mostly Greek. This echoes the story’s origin and provides elements of truth to an otherwise magical tale.
“King Oberon’s”
Oberon is King of the Faeries (referred to by Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream); the image of royalty is supported by listing: ‘bright diadem, sceptre, and mantle’. The power of faery is emphasised both by the idea of royalty and the notion that ‘faery broods’ drove away Nymphs, Satyrs, Dryads and Fauns. These mythical creatures foreshadow the magical aspect of Lamia’s tragic tale.
“Sceptre and mantle”
Foreshadowing downfall of Greek God’s perhaps
a violent killer as sceptres have been known to kill gods in greek mythology
“The ever smitten Hermes empty left/ His golden throne, bent warm on amorous theft”
The golden colour of Hermes and warmth of these lines indicate a potential predatory view on Hermes himself, in contrast to Lamia. Hermes was the messenger of the gods, and known for his multiple affairs with mortal and immortal women.
“hoofed satyrs”
The Satyrs were followers of Dionysus, the god of pleasure and wine. It hints at lawless passion and misadventure.
“a celestial heat/ Burned from his winged heals to either ear/ That from a whiteness, as the lily clear/ Blushed into roses mid his golden hair”
Juxtaposition of symbolic meaning - white is pure whereas love in this poem is evil
Another prominent feature of Lamia is Keats’ use of colour and vibrant imagery. All the traditional associations – the red of love and lust, the white of purity and piety – can be found here.
“vale to vale from wood to wood”
Repetitive structure here suggests Hermes’ desperation and a sense of the search being endless
“To find where this sweet nymph prepared her secret bed”
last alexandrine
usually mark where something happens that is important to the plot.
Sexual references abound here, emphasising the nature of Hermes intent.
“so he rested, on the lonely ground”
Potential for Hermes to be seeking an unrequited love, it isn’t made entirely clear whether the nymph is even aware of Hermes’ lust at this point in the poem.
“he heard a mournful voice/ Such as once heard. in gentle heart, destroys/ All pain but pity”
This is the first time we hear Lamia’s voice directly, and described. Keats explains here that Lamia’s voice ‘destroys all pain but pity’ showing a manipulation of Hermes’ emotions. It foreshadows the pity he will feel for Lamia, and therefore his will to grant her favour.
“lone voice”
isolation - tragic feature
Even from her very first introduction, Lamia is dehumanised. By detailing only her voice, Keats maintains the suspense and creates distance between Lamia as a person and her physical form.
“wreathed tomb”
Keats creates a visual image of Lamia’s snake form in a traditional symbol of the Ouroboros – a snake eating its own tail.
Symbolising reflexivity and cycles, this could perhaps foreshadow the way in which Lamia cannot escape her true nature as an immortal being.
“And love, and pleasure, and the ruddy strife”
The repeated conjunction ‘and’ is an example of polysyndeton and emphasises Lamia’s longing and emotional torment for the physical love she cannot have in her current form.
overwhelming emotion - tragic feature
“Ah miserable me!”
The alliterative ’m’ sound strengthens both the emotive nature of her self-pity and it’s slightly maudlin tone.
“dove-footed”
Doves usually represent romance. In this instance, the God seeks to make the nymph his own out of lust and so the colour white – which a dove reminds us of – may have sexual connotations in this instance ; furthermore, it suggests that love between the supernatural is possible as it’s everlasting which juxtaposes the later love between Lamia and Lycius where two different realms meet and end in tragedy.
“palpitating snake”
Lamia is immediately introduced as pining for her mortal life – ‘palpitating’ is a word with heavy negative connotations, and it hints at a lack of control or vulnerability.
First description of Lamia’s appearance
Colour! So much colour! And not just “she was green” – Keats creates an active image of Lamia’s snake form through the use of the present participle “dazzling” and the verb “dissolv’d”. Along with the similes, Keats presents her as a moving, writhing, reflecting image of beauty and vibrancy.
“touched with miseries”
A running theme in many of Keats’ poems, including Lamia, is the blurring of the lines between villain and victim. Many of the characters could be painted as either role, but more often than not, Keats writes his characters as complicated and sometimes unpredictable. In a word, they are human.
“lady elf”
portray elfin creatures in a suspicious light (See: La Belle Dame Sans Merci)
