Summary:
“Isabella, or the Pot of Basil” is a narrative poem by John Keats, based on a story from Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio. The poem tells the tragic love story of Isabella, a young woman from a wealthy merchant family, and Lorenzo, a poor worker employed by her brothers. Isabella’s brothers disapprove of their love and murder Lorenzo to protect their family’s wealth. Isabella discovers Lorenzo’s fate through a vision, finds his buried body, and cuts off his head, placing it in a pot of basil, which she waters with her tears. Her grief consumes her, and when her brothers take away the pot, she dies heartbroken
Question | Answer |
Poem Name | Isabella, or the Pot of Basil |
Poet | John Keats |
Year Written | 1818 |
Year Published | 1820 |
Poem Type | Narrative poem |
Themes | Love and tragedy, greed vs. true love, death and mourning |
Symbolism | The pot of basil (eternal love and grief), Lorenzo’s ghost (truth and justice) |
Tone | Melancholic, tragic, and romantic |
Setting | Medieval Italy |
Main Conflict | Love vs. societal expectations and greed |
Ending | Isabella dies of grief after losing Lorenzo and the pot of basil |
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