La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Keats.

Structure and Form:

The poem is written in ballad form, consisting of twelve quatrains (stanzas) having
three lines of iambic tetrameter followed by a single line of iambic
dimeter. Medieval ballads also tended to revolve around supernatural themes.
The ballad form was revived by Romantic poets who admired its minimalism and
immediacy. The regularity of the ballad form contrasts with the irregularity of the
narrative, creating a sense of tension and instability.
So, ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’ is after the form of the lyrical ballad. Many well-
known poets of the romantic era used this form in their written works. Ballads tell
stories so they have an innate narrative structure. Keats opens with the necessary
exposition, introducing the character and setting the scene, though a host of
enigmas remain beyond the poem’s cyclical denouement. Having begun in the
voice of an unidentified speaker, the bulk of the poem is the knight’s recount of
events – this question and response structure is typical of early folk ballads. This
particular ballad has a meter and rhyme scheme that produces a flow that
engages the reader.

The poem is written in iambic tetrameter. The meter is largely iambic tetrameter,
with the stress falling on four words per line, such as:
“O what can ail thee, knight at arms” (Line 1). So far, the poem seems to be
following a traditional balladic form. The twist occurs in the fourth line of each
stanza, which is abruptly shortened, breaking up the flow of the previous three
lines. Pointedly, this last line is only three or four words long and consists of just
three stressed syllables. An example is the change in length and meter between
Lines 2 and 4, from “Alone and palely loitering?” to “And no birds sing. The
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effect of this scheme is that it flows like a song, smooth. Thus, it could be sung.
The rhyme (ABCB) and rhythm are all designed to lure the reader in, just as the
knight in the poem was lured in by the beautiful fairy-woman.

Keats wrote this in an outdated form of poetry that capitalizes on simple and
archaic language and imagery to bring across its story. By utilizing the ballad form,
it lends the poem an air of timelessness, and an almost novelistic approach to
imagery. Even the story itself is evocative of the ballad tradition. Ballads were
used as entertainment, and their length was supposed to keep listeners engaged,
as the ballad was a form of oral poetry.

Language and Imagery

• Keats employs rich, vivid imagery throughout the poem to create a
haunting and ethereal atmosphere. Examples include "palely loitering,"
"wild," "sweet moan," "fever dew," and "death-pale."
• The language is often archaic and reminiscent of medieval literature,
adding to the romantic and mysterious tone.
Symbolism:
• The character, "La Belle Dame Sans Merci," symbolizes beauty's power to
ensnare and ultimately destroy. She represents the allure of superficial
beauty and its ability to lead one astray.
• She also can stand for the Muse of inspiration.
• The knight, left desolate by the dame, symbolizes the vulnerability of
mortal beings to the temptations of the world.
Themes:
• Love and Loss: The poem explores the transient nature of love and the pain
of abandonment.
• Nature and the Supernatural: Keats intertwines natural and supernatural
elements, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
• Romantic Idealism: The knight's idealization of the beautiful lady leads to
his downfall, reflecting the Romantic notion of the dangers of unchecked
passion.

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 • Imagination and creation.
Tone and Mood:
• The tone of the poem is melancholic and wistful, reflecting the knight's
sorrowful state and his yearning for the lost love.
• The mood shifts between moments of enchantment and moments of
foreboding, creating a sense of ambiguity and unease.
Narrative Voice:
• The poem is narrated by an unnamed speaker who encounters the knight
and recounts his tale. This narrative distance allows for a sense of mystery
and ambiguity surrounding the events described.
• Then in stanza 4, the knight start narrating his own story.

"La Belle Dame sans Merci" shows Keats's mastery of language, imagery,
and symbolism, weaving together elements of romance, tragedy, and the
supernatural to create a haunting and evocative poem.