The sedge is witherd from the lake, and no birds sing. Thee hath the version of this poem has thee hath see the letters of john keats, 18141821, ed. We immediately know that love is going to be a major the. Written in the style of a ballad, a medieval genre of poetry, and using comparatively sparse language, keats poem tells the story of a knightatarms who suffers under the spell of a mysterious lady. And this is why i sojourn here alone and palely loitering, though the sedge is withered from the lake, and no birds sing. Oh what can ail thee knightatarmsalone and palely loiteringthe sedge has withered from the lake. Keats wrote the poem in a letter to george and georgiana keats, april 21, 1819.
However, when keats approached his publishers with a new book of poems, they hated the volume. The poem comprises 12 stanzas and has a rhyme scheme abcb. In what ways could its sense of mystery be part of its meaning. Before you travel any further, please know that there may be some thorny academic terminology ahead. Other poems of john keats o what can ail thee, knightatarms, the beautiful lady without pity. To what extent do you agree that the main theme of the poem is the destructive power of love and beauty. Summary and analysis on first looking into chapmans homer when i have fears the eve of st. The poem, whose title means the beautiful lady without pity, describes the encounter between a knight and a mysterious elfin beauty who ultimately abandons him. Romantic poetry tends to show a strong appreciation for the power. The shortening of the fourth line in each stanza of keats poem makes the stanza seem a selfcontained unit, gives the ballad a deliberate and slow. Some readers maintain that the poem is really about keatss confused. The poem starts with the poet finding a solitary knight stumbling around the countryside. Ah, what can ail thee, wretched wight, 5 so haggard and so woebegone. Ah, what can ail thee, wretched wight, alone and palely loitering.
It is a story of unrequited love, illness, and the impossibility of being with whom one cares for when they are from different social classes. The speaker comes across a lonely knight sitting in an arid field. Each of those quatrains rhymes according to an abcb pattern. To view the second interpretation, please scroll to the bottom of the article and click next or page 2. John keats, romantic poet, wrote this ballad in 1819. But is this poem with its french title a mere piece of pseudomedieval escapism, summoning. It is mysterious, with hints of personal anxieties and sexual desperation hidden within the. The nature of romanticism of john keats english literature essay.
And this is why i sojourn here, alone and palely loitering, though the sedge is wither dfrom the lake, and no birds sing. That is how life becomes cruel as well as beautiful. Welcome to the land of symbols, imagery, and wordplay. A list of poems by john keats born in 1795, john keats was an english romantic poet and author of three poems considered to be among the finest in the english language the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. Its about a knight who falls in love with a beautiful fairy lady. Keats, john 17951821 widely regarded as the most talented of the english romantic poets, keats, whose work was poorly received during his lifetime, could not have foreseen his later recognition. They criedla belle dame sans merci hath thee in thrall. Keats uses the socalled ballad stanza, a quatrain in alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter lines.
Keats wrote this poem in 1819, but it wasnt published until 1820. I saw their starved lips in the gloam, with horrid warning gaped wide, and i awoke and found me here, on the cold hills side. The supernatural one theme of the poem is the supernatural. This was the year where keats would write his most astounding body of work. He writes about love and beauty in a very sweet sensuous manner. This particular ballad has a meter and rhyme scheme that produces a flow that engages the reader. This is evident in labelle dame sans merci, and ode to autumn. Important features of keats poetry he is romantic poet. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. The squirrels granary is full, and the harvests done. Many well known poets of the romantic era used this form in their written works.
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