1. Lamia
Feedback on part 2
Themes:
Imagination
Truth and beauty
Negative capability
Nature
Women
Anything else?

2. The Eve of St Agnes
• 20th January
• St Agnes is the patron saint of young virgins –
she vowed that he body be consecrated to
Christ and she rejected all her suitors.
• According to belief, on this night, young
virgins will dream of their future husbands.

3. Spenserian Stanzas
• So called as they were used by Edmund
Spenser, writing poetry in the 16th Century.
• When a stanza is more than 8 lines long, something
grand is being attempted or achieved.
• Imagine deciding that not only is every stanza going to
have 9 lines, but that each stanza will rhyme: a-b-a-b-
b-c-b-c-c.
• This is very difficult, it means that the poet need 2 ‘a’
rhymes and 4 ‘b’ rhymes and 3 ‘c’ rhymes.
• Why would a poet do this? What does this tightly
controlled rhyme scheme offer?

4. • Not only do all the stanzas have this
rhyme, but they also consist of 8 lines of
iambic pentameter (ti tum, ti tum, ti tum, ti
tum, ti tum – with the stress on the even
numbered syllables) and then an alexandrine
(a line of 12 syllables).
• What are the effects?

5. Effects of rhyme and rhythm
• Keats is using an antique rhyme
and rhythm to create an antique-
sounding romance – age/time is
important in this narrative. St Agnes’ Eve – Ah bitter chill it was! a
• Using something so difficult as The owl, for all his feathers, was a-cold: grass,
The hare linp’d trembling through the frozen
b
a
Spenserian stanzas builds up a And silent was the flock in wooly fold:while he told
Numb were the Beadsman’s fingers,
b
b
really coherent structure. His rosary, and while his frosted breath,
Like pious incense from a censer old,
c
b
• The ‘b’ rhymes hold the stanza Seem’d takingVirgin’sfor heaven, without a death,saith.
Past the seet
flight
picture, while his prayer he
c
c
together interlocking with the ‘a’
and ‘c’ rhymes, while the final
couplet of ‘c’ rhyme has been
prepared earlier.

6. How/why is this structure important?
• What does it tell us about the setting?
• What does it tell us about the use of time and
sequence?
• What does it tell us about the way the narrative
will develop?
• Is there any suggestion that things will be amiss
in this narrative? Does the structure suggest that
the reader will have any questions?

7. The story
It is the eve of St Agnes, and a bitterly cold night. An ancient
pensioner returns from his prayers through an empty chapel.
He hears the sound of music coming from the castle above
but continues on his way to say prayers for the souls of
sinners. In the castle, preparations for the celebratory feast
held on St Agnes’ Eve are completed and the guests arrive.
The narrator turns away from them to focus on Madeline
who, oblivious to the guests and the music, is thinking only
of the legend of St Agnes. Virgins who observe certain
ceremonial rites on this particular eve may see their future
husbands in their dreams. Meanwhile, Porphyro approaches
the castle; he is in love with Madeline, but their fathers are
sworn enemies. He gets in to the castle and and learns from
Angela, the aging nurse, that Madeline is performing the
rites associated with St Agnes.

8. The story
Angela reluctantly agrees to help Porphyro conceal himself
in Madeline’s bedchamber and then brings a selection of
delicacies from the feast. Porphyro watches Madeline
prepare for bed and fall asleep and then arranges the
delicacies on a table. He tries but fails to awaken her.
Eventually, playing her lute, he arouses her from dreams of
him to a state between sleeping and waking in which she
confesses her love; at this point ‘into her dream he melted
(line 320). Their relationship is consummated as a storm
arises, and Madeline is fully awakened. Initially distressed
and fearing he will now forsake her, she eventually consents
to elope with her lover and the two steal out of the castle
under cover of the storm which now rages outside. The
poem concludes with a reminder from the narrator that this
all happened long ago.

9. Questions – to answer for homework – each answer
should be quite detailed (not essay length)
• What is the purpose of the old man saying
prayers at the beginning of the poem?
• Why do you think Angela agrees to help him hide
in Madeline’s room?
• Many of the images used in the poem suggest
oppositions and set up boundaries: the cold
outside is set against the warmth within. What
other examples can you find?
• What use does Keats make of:
– Music?
– Colours?