English literature paper 2 Poems

Context:

John Keats wrote this not long before dying from turberculosis, perhaps this influenced the poem's depressing, disheartening, and gloomy tone.

The poem is a ballard, traditionally used to represent entertaining stories.

Beginning:

The knight is introduced as lost and abandoned, hinting that something has gone terribely gone wrong - contrasts with the stereotypes around knights.

The use of "O" gives us the impression that ther poet is preaching - link to ballards.

"And the harvest's done", referring to the season of autumn - otherwise known as the season of death.

What happens to the knight is never fully explained, reader may assume something magical occured.

Climax:

"Her eyes were wild" - contrasts with the beauty of the lady, hinting danger is to come.

"Sweet moan" - entendres are used to place emphasis on the passion and sexual attraction between the lady and the knight.

Ending:

Links to a matriachal society - the lady is in control of the man, highly irregular storyline for a poem, themes of romance, lust and horror are stressed.

Much of the first stanza repeats itself at the end, "And no birds sing" - signals to the reader that the knight has been brought back to reality.

Context:

The narrator describes his grandfather's weakness and the compares memories of his grandfather from the past and present.

Each stanza legnth is 6 lines, which could potray the grandfathers consistency and reliability.

The repetition of "Dad" emphasises the narrators emotional state as they attempt to energise and to motivate the grandfather in his fight against the illness