La belle dame sans merci

                          La belle dame sans merci

                                                                               - By John Keats

Poet Introduction : -

      John Keats ( 1795 – 1821 ) was studied in king's collage of London. He was very well known English romantic poet. He wrote many odes. He was one of the main figure of the second generation of romantic poet's along with Lord Byron.

Poetry Introduction : -

  La Belle Dame sans mercy means the beautiful lady without mercy / pity. This poem written in 1819 and published the next year in a form slightly different from the one here. Which talks about a soldier. Who has Staffard by the hands of beautiful lady. This poem is written in 12 stanzas . Which showcases the suffering of the soldier.

Analysis : -

     In the very first stanza the soldier is questioned by a stranger near the river on the cold hill's side. Where in the stranger finds the soldier in a pathetic condition alone an loitering aimlessly and the second stanza, the stranger further questions the soldier on his condition. Where the nature is very beautiful but the knight is suffering.

     The third stanza the stranger talks about his fever and his facial condition. As he was looking extremely pale.

        The knight starts answering the stranger about how he met a beautiful lady in the meadows. How was like a fairy's child with beautiful eyes and long hair.

     In the next stanza he talk about how he maid garlands and bracelets of roses in her love as a gift.

        In the six stanza , he talks about how he met her comfortable on the steed and kept looking at her. By listening to her wonderful songs.

    In the seven stanza talks about how he thought that in strange language she kept on speaking I love you and found him roots and honey to eat.

        Then she took him to the where in she cried and I made her comfortable by kissing her eyes.

     In the nine stanza , she made me sleep by singing a lullaby and that is when he saw a dream which was very dream full and found himself near the hill.

   In the next stanza the dream continues where he saw many kings and princes all most dead and were crying “ La belle dame sans merci”.

      In the eleventh stanza he found all the kings, princes, soldiers in extremely poor condition and he was awake all of a sudden. Almost shocked because of the bad dream.

          In the last stanza he says that , that is the reason why he is alone and palely loitering on the cold hill's cold .

Conclusion : -
          The last stanza of the poem shows liberation as the only means of freedom for the slave. For slaves, ultimately it is only death in which they will find solace, for they can dream but due to their helpless state cannot achieve their dreams. It is very touching to read the last stanza he will not feel the pain of the whip and the burning heat as his spirit is finally released free from his haggard body.