Title
“La Belle Dame sans Merci” in French means "The Beautiful Lady Without Mercy" in English.
John Keats used the title of a 15th century poem by Alain Chariter.
Theme and substance of John Keats “La Belle Dame Sans Merci”
The theme of the poem is the unfulfilled love of a medieval knight at arms. Thus the poem deals with frustrated love.
Its theme takes us back to the remote medieval times of knight-errantry and enchantment.
It narrates the story of the unrealized love of a knight-at-arms, who has been captivated by the bewitching beauty of a lady.
The knights gallantry and quest for adventure, disappointment in love due to the treacherous wiles of his lady love, his wandering about with pale and haggard looks in a dreary cold weather in quest of the beauty of his shattered dream, his vision of the weird array of ghastly and death pale kings and princes etc. in the elfin grotto. All these medieval and supernatural elements are thoroughly romantic. Treatment of the theme shows Keats’s tragic imagination at its best.
Features of Ballad
This poem is a perfect ballad, for it possesses all the qualities of good ballad poetry. Like the theme of old ballads, the theme of this poetry is chivalry and romance leading to a tragic end. Its narrative is simple and direct, with a romantic tenderness and simplicity of emotion. Its language has all the simplicity and directness of good ballads. The atmosphere in the poem is dreary and weird and therefore, perfect in keeping with its tragic theme. The poem is abruptly introduced and graphically narrated.
“La Belle Dame sans Merci” in French means "The Beautiful Lady Without Mercy" in English.
John Keats used the title of a 15th century poem by Alain Chariter.
Theme and substance of John Keats “La Belle Dame Sans Merci”
The theme of the poem is the unfulfilled love of a medieval knight at arms. Thus the poem deals with frustrated love.
Its theme takes us back to the remote medieval times of knight-errantry and enchantment.
It narrates the story of the unrealized love of a knight-at-arms, who has been captivated by the bewitching beauty of a lady.
The knights gallantry and quest for adventure, disappointment in love due to the treacherous wiles of his lady love, his wandering about with pale and haggard looks in a dreary cold weather in quest of the beauty of his shattered dream, his vision of the weird array of ghastly and death pale kings and princes etc. in the elfin grotto. All these medieval and supernatural elements are thoroughly romantic. Treatment of the theme shows Keats’s tragic imagination at its best.
Features of Ballad
This poem is a perfect ballad, for it possesses all the qualities of good ballad poetry. Like the theme of old ballads, the theme of this poetry is chivalry and romance leading to a tragic end. Its narrative is simple and direct, with a romantic tenderness and simplicity of emotion. Its language has all the simplicity and directness of good ballads. The atmosphere in the poem is dreary and weird and therefore, perfect in keeping with its tragic theme. The poem is abruptly introduced and graphically narrated.
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