Question

John Keats - La Belle Dame sans Merci. A BalladExplore: x2                 IIOh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,So haggard and so woe-begone?The squirrel's granary is full,And the harvest's done.               IIII see a lily on thy brow, With anguish moist and fever-dew,And on thy cheeks a fading roseFast withereth too.

Accepted Answer

•Botanical imagery (plants) 'lily' is a funeral flower + pale colours => purity tainted by death connotations - lack of colour and vibrancy => despondency as loss of hope•Terse (brief, to the point) language used by first speaker when describing 2nd speaker 'haggard' - sparse and abrupt adds to the recognition of his pain.

Front	John Keats - La Belle Dame sans Merci. A Ballad Explore: x2 II Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, So haggard and so woe-begone? The squirrel's granary is full, And the harvest's done. III I see a lily on thy brow, With anguish moist and fever-dew, And on thy cheeks a fading rose Fast withereth too.
Back	•Botanical imagery (plants) 'lily' is a funeral flower + pale colours => purity tainted by death connotations - lack of colour and vibrancy => despondency as loss of hope •Terse (brief, to the point) language used by first speaker when describing 2nd speaker 'haggard' - sparse and abrupt adds to the recognition of his pain.

Thy Speaker John Keats La Belle Dame Sans