Reflection on “La Bella Dame sans Merci”
Reflection on “La Bella Dame sans Merci” Name
ENG 125
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Date
Reflection on “La Bella Dame sans Merci” Reflection on “La Bella Dame sans Merci” is an informative paper on the elements that are interesting and help to support the written poem by author John Keats in the year of eighteen hundred nineteen. John Keats was born October 31, 1795 and died February 23, 1821 at the age of 29 from advanced stage of tuberculosis. While “on his deathbed Keats requested that his tombstone bear no name, only the words “Here lies one whose name was writ in water.” (Modern Library Edition, 1994. Intro pg., 7, pargh 7). John Keats has an intriguing way with words that make you think and wanting more to read in the poem. When John Keats was writing this poem he actually “took the title from a poem by the medieval poet, Alain Cartier. It means, the beautiful woman without mercy.” (Melani Home, (2010). There is a natural setting to the poem, form, language and content with in the poem that stands out and help with the reading of the poem. While John Keats’ poem “La Bella Dame sans Merci” was written in the eighteenth century, there is gloom and betrayal with the added theme of love all wrapped up in one poem. The poem “La Bella Dame sans Merci” is a literary ballad or better known as a story that is to be sung. “In ancient oral traditions, ballads were used to celebrate shared experiences involving adventure, war, love, death, and the supernatural. Ballads still incorporate these themes and portray situations in which violence and betrayal occur. John Keats’s "La Belle Dame sans Merci," written in the 19th century, is a literary ballad, not intended to be sung. It is patterned after earlier popular ballads. Typically, the person featured in a ballad, as in this case, is an adventurer, a romantic figure. But the story here is being told after a particular adventure has taken its toll. The knight–at–arms is looking pale,
ENG 125
Instructor
Date
Reflection on “La Bella Dame sans Merci” Reflection on “La Bella Dame sans Merci” is an informative paper on the elements that are interesting and help to support the written poem by author John Keats in the year of eighteen hundred nineteen. John Keats was born October 31, 1795 and died February 23, 1821 at the age of 29 from advanced stage of tuberculosis. While “on his deathbed Keats requested that his tombstone bear no name, only the words “Here lies one whose name was writ in water.” (Modern Library Edition, 1994. Intro pg., 7, pargh 7). John Keats has an intriguing way with words that make you think and wanting more to read in the poem. When John Keats was writing this poem he actually “took the title from a poem by the medieval poet, Alain Cartier. It means, the beautiful woman without mercy.” (Melani Home, (2010). There is a natural setting to the poem, form, language and content with in the poem that stands out and help with the reading of the poem. While John Keats’ poem “La Bella Dame sans Merci” was written in the eighteenth century, there is gloom and betrayal with the added theme of love all wrapped up in one poem. The poem “La Bella Dame sans Merci” is a literary ballad or better known as a story that is to be sung. “In ancient oral traditions, ballads were used to celebrate shared experiences involving adventure, war, love, death, and the supernatural. Ballads still incorporate these themes and portray situations in which violence and betrayal occur. John Keats’s "La Belle Dame sans Merci," written in the 19th century, is a literary ballad, not intended to be sung. It is patterned after earlier popular ballads. Typically, the person featured in a ballad, as in this case, is an adventurer, a romantic figure. But the story here is being told after a particular adventure has taken its toll. The knight–at–arms is looking pale,
References: Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books Modern Library, (2000). Complete Poems of John Keats. Westminster, MD, USA: LC Call Number: PR4832 -- 1994beb. EISBN: pISBN: 9780679641636 Dewey Decimal Number: OCLC Number: 646897556 Melani Home, (2010). http://www.academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/belle.html