The
poem “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” by John Keats is a poem full of imagination,
dreams, romanticism, and mystery. It tells us of a knight wandering about the
cold bare countryside, where he meets a mystical woman. It is hard to tell from
the poem whether or not she is real, or simply a figment of his imagination.
This poem is very easy to read, with a consistent structure and straightforward
language. It imitates the ballad, yet still maintains simplicity in the best
sense. Keats evokes our curiosity while reading this poem by creating vivid
scenarios to invigorate our senses, keeping us wanting more by the end of the
poem.
The poem suggests that the narrator is
on his death bed. In the opening three stanzas, the Knight is come across by
another man who says he can “see the lily on thy brow” and “on thy cheek a
fading rose/ fast withereth too”. The lily is often associated with death and
Keats is said to have used the lily because it “symbolises death”. Furthermore,
the claim that on his cheek is a “fading rose” suggests that the colour is
going out of his face, which relates to the repeated claim that the Knight is
“palely loitering”. Keats nursed his brother when he was suffering from
Tuberculosis, and briefly after writing this poem he himself was diagnosed with
the disease. Keats presents the narrator of the poem as suffering from some of
the symptoms of TB, such as his paleness, fever and inability to move, and
perhaps his illness explains why he is “alone and palely loitering.”
There is not obvious usage of
figurative language such as similes, metaphors, and personification. The line
“on thy cheek a fading rose fast withereth too” could refer to more that one
thing. Keats could be comparing the rose to the color of the knights cheeks,
and because it is cold outside he is growing pale. Another way you could look
at it is that the knight is dying, and the color fading from his cheeks is the
last bit of life he has left. Or, he could be disheartened and so his happiness
isn't reflecting on his face. In a way Keats is comparing a rose to something,
so in a roundabout way this could be considered a metaphor.
There is not obvious usage of
figurative language such as similes, metaphors, and personification. The line
“on thy cheek a fading rose fast withereth too” could refer to more that one
thing. Keats could be comparing the rose to the color of the knights cheeks,
and because it is cold outside he is growing pale. Another way you could look
at it is that the knight is dying, and the color fading from his cheeks is the
last bit of life he has left. Or, he could be disheartened and so his happiness
isn't reflecting on his face. In a way Keats is comparing a rose to something,
so in a roundabout way this could be considered a metaphor.
“La Belle Dame Sans Merci” by John Keats is a fantastical poem which takes the
reader into another realm. One cannot be sure if the knight has really met the
fairy before, or if he is merely dreaming. Though this poem seems plain and
easily understood at first, we are stuck deeply in muddled enjoyment by the
time we are halfway through it. This short mysterious romance leaves us
thinking, wondering, and longing for more by the time it ends. When we finish
reading the poem, we like the knight, find ourselves wanting to return to that
sweet resting place of the fairy.
The poem suggests that the narrator is
on his death bed. In the opening three stanzas, the Knight is come across by
another man who says he can “see the lily on thy brow” and “on thy cheek a
fading rose/ fast withereth too”. The lily is often associated with death and
Keats is said to have used the lily because it “symbolises death”. Furthermore,
the claim that on his cheek is a “fading rose” suggests that the colour is
going out of his face, which relates to the repeated claim that the Knight is
“palely loitering”. Keats nursed his brother when he was suffering from
Tuberculosis, and briefly after writing this poem he himself was diagnosed with
the disease. Keats presents the narrator of the poem as suffering from some of
the symptoms of TB, such as his paleness, fever and inability to move, and perhaps
his illness explains why he is “alone and palely loitering.”
There is not obvious usage of
figurative language such as similes, metaphors, and personification. The line
“on thy cheek a fading rose fast withereth too” could refer to more that one
thing. Keats could be comparing the rose to the color of the knights cheeks,
and because it is cold outside he is growing pale. Another way you could look
at it is that the knight is dying, and the color fading from his cheeks is the
last bit of life he has left. Or, he could be disheartened and so his happiness
isn't reflecting on his face. In a way Keats is comparing a rose to something,
so in a roundabout way this could be considered a metaphor.
There is not obvious usage of
figurative language such as similes, metaphors, and personification. The line
“on thy cheek a fading rose fast withereth too” could refer to more that one
thing. Keats could be comparing the rose to the color of the knights cheeks,
and because it is cold outside he is growing pale. Another way you could look
at it is that the knight is dying, and the color fading from his cheeks is the
last bit of life he has left. Or, he could be disheartened and so his happiness
isn't reflecting on his face. In a way Keats is comparing a rose to something,
so in a roundabout way this could be considered a metaphor.
“La Belle Dame Sans Merci” by John Keats is a fantastical poem which takes the
reader into another realm. One cannot be sure if the knight has really met the
fairy before, or if he is merely dreaming. Though this poem seems plain and
easily understood at first, we are stuck deeply in muddled enjoyment by the
time we are halfway through it. This short mysterious romance leaves us
thinking, wondering, and longing for more by the time it ends. When we finish
reading the poem, we like the knight, find ourselves wanting to return to that
sweet resting place of the fairy.
Comments
Post a Comment