Summary:
John Keats’ La Belle Dame sans Merci (French for “The Beautiful Lady Without Mercy”) is a ballad that tells the haunting tale of a knight who has been bewitched by a mysterious and enchanting lady. The poem is structured as a dialogue, where an unnamed speaker encounters the knight, who appears pale, weak, and heartbroken. The knight recounts how he met a beautiful, fairy-like woman who seduced him with her love, fed him exotic food, and took him to her mysterious cave. However, in a dream, he saw ghostly figures—pale kings and princes—who warned him that the lady had ensnared them all. Upon waking, he found himself abandoned and alone on a desolate hillside. The poem explores themes of love, illusion, and the transient nature of happiness, with a melancholic and eerie tone.
Question | Answer |
Poem Name | La Belle Dame sans Merci |
Poet | John Keats |
Year Written | 1819 |
Year Published | 1820 |
Poem Type | Ballad (lyric narrative poem) |
Rhyme Scheme | ABCB |
Themes | Love, illusion, loss, supernatural elements, heartbreak |
Tone | Melancholic, mysterious, eerie |
Symbolism | The lady represents temptation and illusion, while the knight symbolizes human vulnerability |
Famous Line | “And I awoke and found me here, On the cold hill’s side.” |
Main Idea | The poem warns about the dangers of enchantment and idealized love, showing how passion can lead to despair. |
Unique Feature of the Poem | Unlike Keats’ other odes, this ballad has a medieval, supernatural setting with an unresolved ending. |
Influence on the Poem | Inspired by medieval romance, folklore, and Keats’ personal experiences with love and illness. |
Score: 0
Attempted: 0/10
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