La Belle Dame Sans Merci Analysis (1 Viewer)

[x.Exhaust.x]

Would anyone happen to have an in depth analysis on 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci?'. For me, the poem is hard to understand, because it's open to many interpretations, between the romaticism of the man and the woman. Thanks.

 

[x.Exhaust.x]

For the people who have read the poem, what problems would a feminist reading have with seeing her this way? I may as well post the poem up....Every single help is appreciated. Due tomorrow .

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.

I see a lily on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.

I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.

She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
'I love thee true'.

She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.

And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!'

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.

And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

 

[kaz1]

'And there she wept and sighed full sore' - Stereotype that women cry a lot.
Can't find anything else, too sleepy.

 

[x.Exhaust.x]

'And there she wept and sighed full sore' - Stereotype that women cry a lot.
Can't find anything else, too sleepy.

So am I *yawns*. Thx anyway kaz

 

[shaon0]

forum trolling kazi i c.....we hav a 3unit test 2morrow.u should b studying

 

[DownInFlames]

For the people who have read the poem, what problems would a feminist reading have with seeing her this way? I may as well post the poem up....Every single help is appreciated. Due tomorrow .

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake, comments on time of year - represents the end of his life
And no birds sing.

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.

I see a lily on thy brow, lily represents death
With anguish moist and fever-dew, he's really sick
And on thy cheeks a fading rose and probably will die
Fast withereth too.

knight responds
I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan. they rooted like animals

I set her on my pacing steed,"I SET HER" = I am in control of her (or so he thinks)
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.

She found me roots of relish sweet, tone starts to change - shift in power as she is subject of sentences now.
And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
'I love thee true'.

She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes attempts by the guy to regain power. fails abundant.
With kisses four.

And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!'

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.

And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing. links to first 3 stanzas - cyclical structure

I suppose feminists might have a problem with that she's made out to be a villain... maybe suggesting women are not to be trusted. and also you could comment on the shift in power conveyed in the language change: from him thinking he is cause she lets him dominate her, to her showing control once she gets to her 'elfin grot.' This could be read to mean women have no power in men's world but only in their own. also: she gets power only through playing up to the man's desires.

 

[x.Exhaust.x]

I suppose feminists might have a problem with that she's made out to be a villain... maybe suggesting women are not to be trusted. and also you could comment on the shift in power conveyed in the language change: from him thinking he is cause she lets him dominate her, to her showing control once she gets to her 'elfin grot.' This could be read to mean women have no power in men's world but only in their own. also: she gets power only through playing up to the man's desires.

Thank you so much downinflames!

 

[beachee99]

oi dude, you should see if our class is ahead of yours for some stuff. Cos then you can look at my notes. you might get a quicker response than BOS