Isabella; Or, The Pot of Basil

'He might not in house,field or garden stir, But her full shape would all his seeing fill;' 

• Shows Lorenzo is lower status than Isabella- tragic from beginning- we know it will never work out
• She is meant to marry someone rich 
• 'To some high noble and his olive-trees.'- makes oil- luxury item/high status/wealthy

'Than idle ears should pleasure in their woe.' 

• When someone finds out about their relationship it will cause a problem= the 2 brothers

'Though Dido silent is under-grove'

Story of Dido

• A Queen who was abandoned by Troy
• This foreshadows something bad or similar is going to happen- gives a sense of trouble
• Lorenzo taken, killed and buried by Isabella's 2 brothers- Isabella then alone

'And for them a weary hand did swelt In torched mines and noisy factories,' 

• The brothers are rich from other peoples misery and har work-how we first meet brothers
• Bad impression
• Not meant to like them
• Know they are going to do something bad

'Half-ignorant, they turned an easy wheel, That set shamp rocks at work to pinch and pell.'

• Brothers are powerful- own mines, factories and slaves- people in Asia diving for pearls for them
• Contrasts to Lorenzo- 'pilgrim'- different social classes

'ledger men' and 'money-bags'

• How brothers are describedin stanza XVIII- just want money do not care about people's well-being and morals
  

'How could they find out in Lorenzo's eye?' 

• How could they find out about the relationship?
• Something so beautiful even though the brothers are so horrible 

'You seem there in the quiet of content, Lorenzo, and we are most loth to invade calm speculation; but if you are wise, Bestride your steed while cold is in the skies.' 

• Shows the brothers are tragic villains- devious/duplictous

'Serpents'

• Links to serpents in the Garden of Eden
• Brothers can't be trusted like serpents

'Sick and wan' 'Lorenzo's flush with love' 

• 'Sick and wan'- describing the brothers
• 'wan'= pale faced- shows tragic suffering
• 'Lorenzo's flush with love'- dramatic irony- about to die but filled with love

'His image in the dusk she seemed to see, And to the silence made a gentle moan,preading her perfect arms upon the air, And on her couch low murmuring 'where? O where?' 

• Isabella is doing the tragic suffering for both her and Lorenzo- however it is sensual when it would normally be sadness and grief

'And every night in dreams they groaned aloud, To see their sister in her snowy shroud.' 

• The brothers are suffering even though they committed the crime

'Had marred his glossy hair which once could shoot Lustre into the sun, and Put cold doom upon his lips,' 

• He now looks terrible however Isabella still loves him- not all tragic
• Gothic and gloomy imagery

'And she forgot the stars, the moon and sun, And she forgot teh blue above the trees And she forgot the dells where waters run,' 

• Isabella has become a recluse- not aware of the outside- tragic isolation

'For seldom did she go to chapel- shrift. And seldom felt she any hunger- pain; And when she left, she hurried back, as swift As bird on wing to breast its egg again;' 

• Isabella is withdrawing herself from the outside world- tragic isolation

• The ending is anti-climatic
• As a tragedy we are expecting something more tragic e.g. tragic resolution?
• Hope?
• There isn't any justice for the brothers