La Belle Dame sans Merci

Plot: The poem tells the tale of a knight who encounters a captivating and seductive woman, who he later realises is a deceitful fairy creature, leaving him in a wretched state of despair and alienation.
Structure & Language Techniques: The poem follows a structure of twelve quatrains and employs language techniques such as symbolism, repetition, and mediaeval romance narrative style, creating a mysterious and suspenseful atmosphere.
Themes & Linking Poems: Themes include love and loss, the supernatural, and the destructive power of beauty, which can be linked to other Keatsian works like ‘The Eve of St. Agnes’ and ‘Ode to a Nightingale.’
Key Quotes: Some significant quotes include “I met a lady in the meads,” “I set her on my pacing steed,” and “And there she lulled me asleep,” reflecting the enchanting yet dangerous nature of the titular ‘Belle Dame.’
Poet & Context: John Keats was a distinctive Romantic poet whose work often delved into the human condition, beauty, and mortality, with ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’ written during a period of personal illness and romantic disappointment.