The Eve of St. Agnes: A Tale of Love and Redemption

1. John Keats http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupHomepage.asp?GroupID=985095 ‘Eve of St Agnes’ ‘Lamia’ ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’

2. Religious Background to St Agnes Eve • St. Agnes, the patron saint of virgins, died a martyr in fourth century Rome. She was condemned to be executed after being raped all night in a brothel; however, a miraculous thunderstorm saved her from rape. St. Agnes Day is Jan. 21.

3. Keats’ inspiration for the poem • Keats based his poem on the superstition that a girl could see her future husband in a dream if she performed certain rites on the eve of St. Agnes; if she went to bed without looking behind her and lay on her back with her hands under her head, he would appear in her dream, kiss her, and feast with her. • In the original version of this poem, Keats emphasized the young lovers' sexuality, but his publishers, who feared public reaction, forced him to tone down the eroticism.

4. Keats’ Poetic Style • What do we know about his style so far?

5. Establishing Character (p.33 AQA text) • In what ways can a writer establish character? • Internal: thoughts, motives. In poetry, narrative perspective plays a significant role. • External: physical appearance, names, speech habits etc. In poetry especially, may have symbolic ‘short cuts.’

6. Establishing Character • What different viewpoints/ voices have we been introduced to so far in the poem? • What is the effect of having multiple viewpoints on the reader?

7. Establishing Characters in Stanzas 8-11

8. Homework - Essay • How does Keats establish characterisation of Madeline and Porphyro in stanzas 7-8? • Due Friday

9. Ambiguity and Keats: • What ambiguities/ uncertainties/ contradictions do there appear to be in the poem so far? • Look specifically at Stanzas 12-19 in small groups. • Record a list of the ambiguities that arise.

10. Ambiguity: ‘Beldame’ and Porphyro • Consider the shifting representation of Porphyro and the old beldame. • How are we supposed to react to them? • What clues are given to indicate how we’re supposed to react to them?

11. Homework – For Monday • Research and bring notes on one of the following terms: 1) Negative capability 2) Chameleon poet (camelion) 3) Egotistical sublime • Relate this to Keats, especially with regard to ambiguity, using reference to his poetry or letters where appropriate • You will use this to inform peer-teaching of your term!

12. Negative Capability • ‘the ability to contemplate the world without the desire to try and reconcile contradictory aspects or fit it into closed and rational systems.'

13. Keats on Negative Capability To George and Thomas Keats Dec 1817 'Negative Capability, that is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason' ‘With a great poet the sense of Beauty overcomes every other consideration' To Richard Woodhouse Oct 1818 'A poet is the most unpoetical of anything in existence; because he has no Identity- he is continually in for- and filling some other Body- The Sun, the Moon, the Sea and Men and Women who are creatures of impulse are poetical and have about them an unchangeable attribute'

14. Terminology • Get together in groups

15. Keats’ Imagery: Stanzas 20-25 • Concrete • Pictorial • Compressed • Associational • Synaesthetic • Define these terms and find examples from these stanzas.

16. One of the fundamental Romantic techniques is the use of imagery. Five main kinds of imagery characterise Keats’ writing: • Concrete: the use of tangible forms in order to aid in conveying abstract ideas. e.g. “ruffian passion” (149)

17. 2. Pictorial: the presentation of ideas in an intensely visual form; the essence of imagery. e.g. “tiger-moth’s deep damask’d wings” (213) 

18. 3. Compressed: condensing multiple meanings into a tightly contained image. e.g. “made purple riot” (138)

19. 4. Associational: imagery whose power lies in its use of connotations and allusions to create varying layers of meaning. e.g. “Since Merlin paid his Demon all the monstrous debt” (171)

20. 5. Synaesthetic: the combination and substitution of one sense for another, typically pairing visual imagery with other sensory description. e.g. “Filling the chilly room with perfume light” (275)

21. Contrast – Stanzas 26-31 • What contrasts have you noticed so far in the poem? -cold versus warmth -noise versus quiet -snarling trumpets versus tender chords -past tense versus present tense -dream versus reality • What is the effect of using a wide variety of contrasts in the poem? • ‘Beauty and evil are never far apart in Keats’ poetry’. How far do you agree with this view?

22. Stanzas 32-38: Madeline and Porphyro’s Relationship • How does Madeline react when she wakes to discover Porphyro in her chamber? • What might her reaction symbolise? • What might this relationship symbolise? (think opposition between dream & reality).

23. Homework: Due Friday • How is Keats’ attitude towards imagination (dreams) & reality symbolised in Madeline & Porphyro’s relationship?

24. Stanzas 39-42: Time and Sequence • Create a flow chart for the poem. Indicate on the flow-chart when the mood, pace and point of view changes. Note any structural devices, as well.

25. Eve of St Agnes Revision

26. Scenes and Places • What are the various settings in the poem? • What connotations does each carry? • How does this contribute to how Keats tells the story?

27. Scenes and Places • The significance of the meagre/ sombre/ desolate opening as a contrast to the atmosphere of the party. • Medieval setting – the medieval world is associated with chivalry, magic, marvels and wonders. It is often depicted as an idealised, marvellous world far-removed from the real world. As such it provided Keats with a suitable world to explore central ideas such as escapism and romance.

28. Scenes and Places • The secret chamber that the beldame takes Porphyro to – suggestive of a witch-like cavern/ supernatural connotations. • Madeline’s bedchamber – images of opulence/ luxury & abundance of colour imagery – there are various suggestions as to what this might signify; the references to the colour ‘red’ could be interpreted as a sign of danger (ie Madeline is in danger) but could also represent passion/ heat (ie Madeline is sexually aroused)

29. Time & Sequence • As the beadsman moves through the chapel and into the adjoining chamber, we as the reader experience a sense of movement – this is achieved by the frequent references to movement and entrances. • Notice the changes in tense from past to present at certain moments to increase the sense of immediacy/ tension (verse VII & X). • Sudden switches in the narrative to incorporate different points-of-view. • The use of dialogue in verse XXXVII – XXXIX creates a sense of immediacy/ panic as the poem draws to a conclusion and the lovers leave the castle.

30. CharacterisationWho is each? If this is allegorical, what is the significance of each character? • Beadsman - representative of the poorer classes; aging; death...values? • Madeline - represented by the narrator as blind/ foolish/ bewitched. In verse XXIV – XXVII she is presented in an ambiguous way – is she being portrayed as a victim or a seductress? • Porphyro - represented by the narrator as gallant/ chivalric/ obsessive/ predatory. Verse XXIX suggests that Porphyro drugs Madeline so that he can finish his preparations before she awakes. • Angela (Beldame) - represented by the narrator as weak and fragile (verse XI) but when she speaks she is seen as cunning and sarcastic (verse XIV)

31. Homework • Create a timeline tracing the narrative voice and perspective.

32. Time and Sequence • As the beadsman moves through the chapel and into the adjoining chamber, we as the reader experience a sense of movement – this is achieved by the frequent references to movement and entrances. • Notice the changes in tense from past to present at certain moments to increase the sense of immediacy/ tension (verse VII & X). • Sudden switches in the narrative to incorporate different points of view. • The use of dialogue in verse XXXVII – XXXIX creates a sense of immediacy/ panic as the poem draws to a conclusion and the lovers leave the castle.

33. Voice • The voice of the narrator/ poet often intrudes into the action to direct how we should interpret the events. This voice is often sceptical/ mocking of the events & characters within the poem (line 55). It also adds to the sense of foreboding/ heightens the tension when it warns of the dangers to come (verse XIX & verse XXII)

34. Voice • We hear the voice of the Beldame warning Porphyro to leave the castle (presented as a concerned protector at this point). • We hear the voice of Porphyro in verse XII and it offers a different interpretation of his character; at this point he comes across as confident/ arrogant in that he does not listen to the Beldame’s warnings. • Later still (verse XVII) he comes across as desperate and voyeuristic.

35. Point of View • Begins from the point-of-view of the beadsman; allows for a sombre opening to contrast with the vitality of the party. • The point-of-view of the narrator provides a negative portrayal of Madeline (verse VII & VIII for example).

36. Point of View • The point-of-view of the narrator provides an initial impression of Porphyro as chivalric and gallant (verse IX) but his behaviour could also be interpreted as obsessive and predatory. • As Porphyro prepares his feast there is a sense of opulence/ mystery/exoticism but when the narrative switches to Madeline’s point-of-view this is undercut by her sense of disappointment.

37. Aspects of Language, Form, Structure • Colour imagery – ‘whiteness’ of the chapel as opposed to the opulent colours of the party • Contrasts – cold/warmth; light/dark; rich/poor • Sensual imagery – luxurious/ excessive quality to the descriptions – particularly of Madeline’s bedchamber and of the feast that Porphyro provides. • Concrete & pictorial imagery. • Sense of foreshadowing/ foreboding as there are several warnings/ predictions of the dangers that lie ahead (verse XII for example). • Synaesthesia.

38. Concepts and Themes • What are the key concepts raised in this poem? • Love is an incredibly powerful emotion that can induce people to behave irrationally. • Appearances can be deceiving. • Man cannot rule the supernatural world; Porphyro tries to ‘cheat’ the superstition by making sure he is the person that Madeline falls in love with but in doing so, we are made to see that she is disappointed by the ‘real’ Porphyro and would far prefer the Porphyro of her imagination. • The imaginary world is favourable to reality.

39. Concepts and Themes • What are the key concepts raised in this poem? • What are the key concepts raised in each of the poems? • Assigned poem – work in groups of ~5 • How can we link all of these together?

40. Key Concepts – ‘Lamia’ • Power struggle between men and woman. • Beauty can be a curse as well as an advantage (the woodland nymph’s desire to escape the prying eyes of the many men who desire her). • It is often difficult to separate the dream world from the real world – dreams come true? Lamia dreams of Hermes and then he appears before her. • Logic/ rationality is not to be ignored/ replaced by the power of the imagination (Lycius is shown to be foolish because he ignores rational/ logical thought). • Appearances can be deceiving. • Vanity is destructive. • Too much logic/ rational thought can destroy the imagination (Part II lines 233-235). The poet argues that we cannot conquer all mysteries by ‘rule and line’ (scientific investigation).

41. Key Concepts – ‘La Belle Dame’ • Women are deceitful/ temptresses – the idea of the femme fatale • Men are naïve/ victims of the manipulative power of women. • But don’t forget it is the man telling the story – the women is only a temptress and the man is only the victim because the knight chooses to represent the situation in this way. • Consider implications – neglects duties, responsibilities • Dreams are powerful – but must be heeded.