O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, Alone and palely loitering? The sedgesedge Grasslike or rushlike plant that grows in wet areas. has withered from the lake, And no birds sing.
Why is the Knight asked on what can ail thee?
Why is the knight asked, “O What can ail thee”? The knight is asked thus because the narrator finds him alone and palely loitering. He looks tired and ill and appears very sad. The poem in fact opens with this question.
What is La Belle Dame Sans Merci meaning?
La Belle Dame sans merci, poem by John Keats, first published in the May 10, 1820, issue of the Indicator. The poem, whose title means “The Beautiful Lady Without Pity,” describes the encounter between a knight and a mysterious elfin beauty who ultimately abandons him.
What does the speaker as ask the knight at arms?
The poem opens with a question: an unnamed speaker asks a “knight at arms” what’s wrong, or what’s “ail[ing]” him. Something is clearly wrong with the knight – he’s “loitering” by himself around the edge of a lake, and he’s “pale.”What does Manna Dew mean?
Manna-dew. the celestial food the Israelites were provided with by God, during their wanderings in the desert.
What kind of dream did the knight see?
In his dream, the knight sees “pale [dead] warriors” who tell him that the belle dame, or beautiful woman, has him in her “thrall.” In other words, he is in her power.
What was the mental state of the knight at arms?
The speaker continues to address this sick, depressed “knight at arms.” He asks about the “lily” on the knight’s “brow,” suggesting that the knight’s face is pale like a lily. The knight’s forehead is sweaty with “anguish” and with “fever,” so he is obviously sick.
How did the knight at arms look?
The speaker of the poem meets the knight-at-arms standing by a lake. It’s a pretty depressing scene. The sedge—a grass-like plant that grows near water—has withered, and no birds sing. The poor old knight looks rather dejected as he stands there, “alone and palely loitering.” And with good reason, too.What can ail thee knight at arms alone and palely loitering?
O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, Alone and palely loitering? The sedgesedge Grasslike or rushlike plant that grows in wet areas. has withered from the lake, And no birds sing.
What are the things that the knight made for her?Answer: The knight made the lady a garland for her head and some bracelets. He also made her a flower belt .
Article first time published onWhat does thee hath in thrall mean?
the state of being under the control of another person. Thee hath in thrall! ‘ starve.
What is the meaning of elfin grot?
Secondly, the knight tells us that this lady took him to her “elfin grot,” which makes it sound as if it were an abode for elves or other magical creatures of fantasy.
What is the elfin grot in the poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci?
In the poem “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” or “The Lady Without Mercy”, the knight tells the poet that the lady took him to her “Elfin Grot” i.e. a small fairy cave. There she lays herself in the arms of the knight and weeps a lot and kept mourning.
Why did the lady whip and sigh when she was with the knight?
To show her deep love for the knight she wept bitterly and sighed. She assured him that she was very faithful in her love for him. The knight was so much overpowered that he kissed her again and again. The lady closed her passionate eyes and enjoyed the intense love expressed by the knight.
What is a fragrant zone?
The “fragrant zone” is a belt made of flowers. We get the idea that the knight decks out the maiden with flowers. “Fragrant zone” could also be a reference to her lady parts, which would make sense, given where the next two lines go.
What is manna in Exodus?
Manna (Hebrew: מָן mān, Greek: μάννα; Arabic: اَلْمَنُّ; sometimes or archaically spelled mana) is, according to the Bible, an edible substance which God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert during the 40-year period following the Exodus and prior to the conquest of Canaan.
What is the condition of the knight?
What is the condition for the knight to live? He must return in a year with a rare flower guarded by a dragon. He must return in a year with 100 soldiers to fight in a tournament.
What happens to the knight at the end of the poem?
In the poem, a knight tells the story of how he becomes obsessed with, and then gets abandoned by, a spirit known as La Belle Dame sans Merci, or “The Beautiful Lady Without Mercy.” Though seemingly aware she’s an illusion, the knight lingers in his memory of the Lady, and it’s implied he will do so until he dies.
Where did the knight see a lily?
The knight says that he met a beautiful, fairy-like “lady” in the “meads,” or fields. She had long hair, was graceful, and had “wild” eyes. (We’re not sure what “wild” eyes would look like, but apparently the knight thought it was attractive.)
How does the knight praise the beauty of the lady?
Note the way that the knight describes the lady in stanza four: I met a lady in the meads, … Note the way that her beauty and her enchantment are linked in this stanza. She is “full beautiful,” in fact so beautiful that the knight concludes she was a “faery’s child,” or the product of magic.
What weapons did men at arms use?
For weapons, English men at arms fighting on foot would be armed primarily with polearms or ‘short lances’ – spears, basically. The most popular of these was probably the pollaxe, which was a 4′-6′ with a spike at the top and some combination of axe blade, hammer and spike on the head.
Did Knights fight dismounted?
Yes. Dismounted knights often fought in formation, especially when the battlefield did not favor mounted operations. Tactical considerations often caused knights to dismount for battle.
Could a peasant become a man-at-arms?
A commoner may become a man-at-arms, archer, or other non-noble soldier in a number of ways. Many would simply leave home in order to ease the burden of the household.
What riddle must the knight solve?
She shares the secret answer to the riddle with him. Once they get to the court, the knight answers that what women really want is power over men. He is correct and his life is spared. The old, ugly woman proposes to the knight, and he grudgingly accepts.
What deal does the knight make with the old lady?
What deal does the knight make with the old woman he meets, and how does he fulfill his bargain with her? In exchange for the correct answer to the queen’s question, the knight will do whatever the old woman asks of him. To fulfill the bargain, he marries her, because that is her demand.
How does the knight treat her rudely and Unchivalrously?
The old woman demands that the knight pledge himself to her in return of her help. How does the knight treat her rudely and unchivalrously? The knight treats the old woman rudely when the woman helps to spare his life and he pledges himself to her, and does not want to marry her.
What was the Knight's Dream in La Belle Dame Sans Merci?
The knight describes the dream he had: he saw “kings,” “princes,” and “warriors, and they were all “death pale.” In fact, he repeats the word “pale” three times in two lines.
Why does the Knight call the place where the lady live elfin grot?
Why does the knight call the place where the lady lives ‘elfin grot’?, Ans: The knight calls so because it was a fairy-cave which is picturesque but artificial ornamental cave., 9.
Why was the Knight loitering about?
Why is the knight loitering about? Ans: The knight was loitering about beautiful fairy lady who enslaved him . The knight was enraptured by the beauty and the lady also accepted his love . She took him to a grot and made him sleep .
