Transcript La Belle Dame Sans merci - English teaching resources

QUESTIONS FROM THE SCREENCAST
Look at all the adjectives used of the knight and the setting. What do you notice?
Where does the “voice” change?
What elements of te poem relate to a “fairy tale world”
In what ways do we see the Lady described as dangerous?
“alone, paley loitering, haggard, woe-begone, moist, fever-dew, cold , death pale…”
“ beautiful, long, light, wild, fragrant, sweet…”
“Strange, wild, wild, - a faery’s child”
CONTRASTS:
Knights seek love as part of the courtly ideal.
What does he find when he finds love?
How does this compare to the message in SONNET 116?
COMPARE LOVE IN BELLE DAME AND SONNET
116
BD:
Love is a trap and
negative force
Love is everlasting
Love brings suffering
Love is unrequited
Love is powerful
Love is of another
world
116:
Love is powerful
Love is “constant”
Love is unchanging
and honest
Love survives great
change
Love is a positive
force
PATHETIC FALLACY
Look at the settings. What examples can you see of nature mirroring the emotions
within the poem?
Look carefully for contrast!
What do you know of the language of flowers?
LILY: The flower of death and mourning
ROSE: The flower of love
FOCUS ON A STANZA
Look closely at Stanza IV
NOTE the contrasts:
What
effect
does the
powerful
caesura
have
here?
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.
Look at the triplet hair, foot and eyes. Which of those
show the true soul? Why is the foot relevant at all?
What do you feel is the effect of the SHORT final line
in this stanza?
The pairs contrast – lady
(pure) becomes faery –
(dangerous). This is
reinforced by the only rhyme
of the stanza… innocence and
experience?