Analysis Of The Poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci By John Keats
John Keats is a prevalent poet and author known for his characteristic literary traits such as: myths, nature, idealism, fairy tale aspects, and the recurrent theme of a certain beauty that was not only unique to him, but to the entirety of the Romantic literary period. “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” which translates directly to “the beautiful lady without mercy”, touches on the subjects of an impossible love, both physical and emotional illness, and the painful beauty of infatuation.
This poem, written in 1819, is structured with twelve simple stanzas of four lines which are shaped in an ABCB scheme, this allows the message of this ballad to flow easily and beautifully thus conveying his powerful message with simplicity and ease. The poem begins with an introduction to our first two characters, whom are unidentified throughout the entire ballad.
The Unnamed Speaker of this poem wonders what could possibly help a knight, whose physical condition is deteriorating quickly being described as “Alone and palely loitering”. The words being utilized by this speaker help us identify the surroundings and overall mood of the poem by referencing withered lakes where birds no longer sing, lack of fauna, examples of anguish and fever-like symptoms which possibly hint to the feelings of frozen ground or winter. This cold and barren emotions are conflicted by the introduction of a third character to the knight’s story, the lady of the meadows or “Full beautiful-a faery’s child”. She is presented as being almost from another world, with a certain holy aura or beauty and immaculation. The lady in the meads would sing to him, bring his delicious things to indulge in, travel together, and they had a certain love that to them was completely unmatchable. These memories are a strong feeling of nostalgia that places The Lady in an ethereal ground, the contrast between the isolating emotions of the beginning stanzas to the nostalgic stanzas show the power that these memories have over the strength of their past emotions. As the following sections approach, a problem and tragedy is made clear.
The Lady of the Meads and her knight can no longer continue their love affair, for she is a fairy and he is a mortal. This kind of romance is no stranger to the literary era and consisted of a love that was simply and undoubtedly impossible. She cries in anguish, knowing there is no hope for a romance between the two, and lulls him to a deep sleep where he is abandoned by The Lady and exposed to a terrifying nightmare where he sees kings and princes he describes as “pale”, with starved lips of death crying out to him regarding “The beautiful woman without mercy”.
Lastly he awakes in the cold hill’s side, slowly and sadly waiting for him lovers hopeful and pointless return, in the withered and lifeless lake. In a complete perspective, “La Belle Dame sans Merci” is a tragic and romantic story that while it incorporates all aspects of Romantic era literacy, it leaves a mark on the reader regarding the final outcome of this romance. Some interpretations wonder if the Lady of Meads is an evil creature, feeding off of the man's love towards her; others view it as a simple tragic romance story of impossible romance, and certain interpretations classify this ballad as a simple mirage or fragment of a feverish and dying man’s imagination forcing him to remain in a state in between life and death where he is manipulated by his own merge or reality and fantasy.
Each of these interpretations have certain levels of proof that make them possible resolutions to this devastating romance, but this conflict has kept readers and literary experts captured and enamored by this poem almost with the same strength as the knight was captivated by his Lady of the meadows, remembering her until his very last days.
