La belle dame sans merci summary

La belle dame sans merci notes

la belle dame sans merci summary and previous years' papers solution in English class 12 ncert book alternative English with complete la belle dame sans merci questions and answers. Here you get the critical analysis or explanation and textual, comprehension ncert solution of this poem written by John Keats. AHSEC Assam Board.


La belle dame sans merci summary

The whole poem centers around the story of the Knight and his lady love. As described in the poem, we can assume that the lady is very beautiful. The Knight got attracted to the charm and beauty of the lady and fell in love with her. The Knight met the lady in the meadows who according to him was very beautiful with a face like a fairy's child, her hair was very long and her foot was light. Her eyes have been mentioned as wild. He was so overwhelmed by her beauty that he made garlands and bracelets for his lady love.

Being deeply in love with the lady, the Knight followed her to her elfin grot where she cried her heart out and the Knight comforted her by imprinting kisses on her eyes. The lady made a sweet moan and began singing a fairy's song thereby making the Knight to fall asleep. In his slumber, the Knight dreamt of the pale faces of the kings, princes, and warriors pleading for mercy to the lady. They were all tormented by the indifference of the lady whom they love. Suddenly the knight woke up and to his utter surprise, he realized that his dreamt turned into reality as the lady was not there with him and he could find himself in the same place, like the people he dreamt of, alone and palely loitering without knowing his destination.

La belle dame sans merci questions and answers

A. Answer the following question in one or two words.

1. Which season is the poem set in? (2016, 19, 20)
Ans: The poem is set in the late autumn and the advent of the winter season. 

2. Who is being addressed at the beginning of the poem? (2017)
Ans: The knight-at-arms is being addressed at the beginning of the poem.

3. Where did the knight meet the lady? (2016, 19)
Ans: The knight met the lady in a meadow.

4. In which year was the poem composed?
Ans: The poem was composed in 1819.

5. What words did the lady utter?
Ans: The lady uttered in a strange language - "I love thee true".

B. Answer the following question in a few words.

1. What did the knight make for the lady?
Ans: The knight, in order to express his love, made a garland for the head, bracelets for the arms, and a girdle of flowers for the lady.

2. What did the lady give him in return?  (2017, 19)
Ans: In return for the gifts of the knight, the lady gave him relish sweet roots, wild honey, and manna dew i.e. nectar of the gods.

3. What did the lady do in her cave? (2020)
Ans: The fair lady took the knight to her fairy cave. In the cave, the lady wept bitterly and sight sorely. Being overwhelmed by her expression of love, the knight kissed her wild and beautiful eyes. Then the lady lulled the knight to sleep.

4. Who did the knight see in his dream? (2016)
Ans: In his dream, the knight saw pale-faced kings, princes, and warriors who were the victim of the beautiful lady.

5. What was the lady known as?
Ans: The lady was known as 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' - which means 'the beautiful lady without pity.

C. Answer the following question briefly in your own words.

1. What are the signs that show us that the knight is suffering?
Ans: The poem 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' depicts the pain and suffering of the knight as he was betrayed by the beautiful lady without pity. He is loitering about alone and pales the cold and desolate hillside. His face looks wrinkled with deep pain and internal turmoil. His brow is pale like a lily and is moist and feverish caused by deep mental agony. Moreover, the bloom of the radiant cheeks of the knight is faded like a fading rose. Again, it is the late autumn, an odd time of the year and the place he visits is not suitable to visit at that time. The sedge has withered away and the birds are also not singing. All these are the signs that clearly show us that the knight is suffering.

2. Give a description of the lady.
Ans: The lady in the poem 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' is a very beautiful one. The knight met the lady in the meadow was pleasantly captivated by the charm and beauty of the lady. She was extremely beautiful with a face like a fairly's child, her hair was very long and she had attractive and wild eyes. Being nimble-footed, she attracted the knight with her movements. Her alluring long hair, the glance of her passionate eyes, and sweet moan enraptured the knight and eventually, he fell in love with the lady.

The knight, in order to express his love, made a garland for her head, bracelet for the lady. The lady was responsive to the knight's approach and her sweet moan reflected her love for the knight. The knight took her on his horseback and spent the whole day on a delightful ride. In response to the gifts of the knight, the knight, the lady offered him relish sweet roots, wild honey, and manna dew. She even expressed her love for the knight in a strange language. The fair lady took him to her fairy cave. In the cave, the lady wept bitterly and sight sorely. Being overwhelmed by her expression of love, the knight kissed her wild and beautiful eyes. Then the lady lulled her to sleep. But the lady ultimately betrayed the knight and left him all alone on a cold hillside.

3. Describe the dream of the knight. (2017, 22)
Ans: In his sleep, the knight had a terrible dream. He dreamt of a number of kings, princes, and warriors who were looking pale and wearied. Their lips were dry and seemed to have been starved for a long period of time. They were the earlier victims of the lady who tormented them by her indifference and betrayal. They called the lady 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' - which means 'the beautiful lady without pity' and warned the knight of the lady's apparent love, enslavement, and eventual deception. They further cautioned the knight that he would meet the same miserable fate as them. The startling dream woke the knight up and he found himself lying all alone on a cold hillside.

D. Give a suitable answer to the following. 

1. Why was the knight loitering about?
Ans: In the poem 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' the poet John Keats speaks about a knight who was once enchanted by a beautiful lady and eventually got deceived by her apparent show of love. The knight happened to meet a beautiful lady in the meadow who was extremely beautiful and charming. Her alluring long hair nimble foot and glance of wild and passionate eyes enraptured the knight and eventually, he fell in love with the lady.

The knight, in order to express his love, made a garland for her head, a bracelet for the lady. The lady was responsive to the knight's approach and her sweet moan reflected her love for the knight. He spent the whole day in the delightful company of the lady and finally followed her to the fairy cave. She offered him relish sweet roots, wild honey, and manna dew and expressed her love for the knight in a strange language. In the cave, she displayed her emotion and lulled the knight to sleep.

In his sleep, the knight had a terrible dream. He dreamt of a number of kings, princes, and warriors who were looking pale and wearied. Their lips were dry and seemed to have been starved for a long period of time. They were the earlier victims of the lady who tormented them by her indifference and betrayal. They called the lady 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' - which means 'the beautiful lady without pity' and warned the knight of the lady's apparent love, enslavement, and eventual deception. They further cautioned the knight that he would meet the same miserable fate as them. The startling dream woke the knight up and he found himself lying all alone on a cold hillside.

To his utter surprise, the knight realized that his dream turned into reality as the lady was not with him. He found it difficult to accept the reality - the betrayal of his lady love. Hence, he was forced to loiter about aimlessly with the anguish of unrequited love.

2. In your own words describe the experience of the knight. (2016, 19)
Ans: Same as the previous answer (D)(Q. no. 1)

Previous Years Question Answers

1. What season is referred to in the poem 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci'? (2016, 19, 20)
Ans:  Late autumn and the advent of the winter season is referred to in the poem. 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci'

2. Where did the knight meet the lady? (2016, 19)
Ans: The knight met the lady in a meadow.

3. Who did the knight see in his dream? (2016)
Ans: In his dream, the knight saw pale-faced kings, princes, and warriors who were the victim of the beautiful lady.

4. Describe the experience of the knight in 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' (2016, 19)
Ans: See the above Qno. 2 (Give a suitable answer to the following.)

5. I saw their starved lips in the gloam.
With horrid warning gaped wide.
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hilTs side. (2016, 2018, 19)
Ans:  These lines have been taken from John Keat's poem "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" The poem deals with the pain of one who loves but is not loved in return.

In the present context, the poet has shown the anguish of unrequited love. The knight met a fairy-like beautiful lady in the meadows. Enchanted by this beautiful figure he fell in love with her. But the lady ditched him and hilled him to sleep. Knight then had a dream. He had a vision of kings, princes, and warriors who were pale and looked as if they had starved. They warned him that he had been bewitched by the beautiful lady without mercy. They were also bewitched by the beautiful lady. Then the knight found himself on the cold hillside feeling the death-like cold of his dream. The lady disappeared and forced him to loiter aimlessly with the anguish of unrequited love. She seduced him with her beauty and sensuality and enslaved him. The knight felt alienated and desolated.

6. Who are the opening lines of 'La Belle Dafne Sans Merci' addressed to? (2017)
Ans: The knight-at-arms is being addressed at the beginning of the poem.

7. What did the lady give to the knight at Arms? (2017, 19)
Ans: The lady gave him relish sweet roots, wild honey, and manna dew i.e. nectar of the gods.

8. Attempt a description of the dream that the knight has in the cave. (2017)
Ans: See above Qno. 3 (Answer the following question briefly in your own words.)

9. Whom did the knight meet? (2017)
Ans: The Knight met a beautiful lady.

10. And this is why I sojourn here.
Alone and palely loitering.
Though the sedge has wither'd from the Lake
And no birds sing.       (2017)
Ans: These lines have been taken from the poem 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' composed by John Keats.
The knight has been bewitched by a beautiful lady who had professed her love, and gave him sweet roots, wild honey, and manna dew. But she was a lady without mercy who vanished without fulfilling the promise of love. The chill has withered the sedge from the lake and no birds are singing. But the knight is forced to loiter all alone, aimlessly with the burden of unrequited love.

11. In 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci', who is it whose granary is full? (2018)
Ans: In 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' the squirrel's granary is full.

12. What did the beautiful lady sing for the knight at arms? (2018)
Ans: The beautiful lady sings a faery's song for the knight at arms.

13. What did the beautiful lady give the knight at arms to eat? (2018)
Ans: The beautiful lady gives the knight at arms relish sweet roots, wild honey, and manna dew to eat.

14. What did the knight at arms do for the beautiful lady and what did she do for him? (2018)
Ans: The knight made a garland for her head, bracelets, and a fragrant zone for her.
She sings a faery's song for him and gives him relish of sweet roots, wild honey, and manna dew to eat.

15. Where did the knight see a lily? (2020, 22)
Ans: The knight saw a lily on the face of the lady.

16. What did the lady do in her cave? (2020)
Ans: The fair lady took the knight to her fairy cave. In the cave, the lady wept bitterly and sight sorely. Being overwhelmed by her expression of love, the knight kissed her wild and beautiful eyes. Then the lady lulled the knight to sleep.

17. Give the description of the lady the knight met. (2020)
Ans: See above Qno. 2( Answer the following question briefly in your own words.)

18. I met a lady in the meads, 
Full beautiful-a faery's child, 
Her hair was long, her foot was light, 
And her eyes were wild.      (2020)
Ans: These lines have been quoted from the poem,' La Belle Dame Sans Merci' by John Keats.
This stanza continues to describe when the knight met a lady in the meadows who according to him was very beautiful with a face like a fairy's child, her hair was very long and her foot was light. Her eyes have been mentioned as wild. He was so overwhelmed by her beauty. The Knight got attracted to the charm and beauty of the lady and fell in love with her

19. Where did the lady take the knight? (2022)
Ans: The lady takes the knight to a fairy cave.

20. What did the knight see in his dream on the hillside? (2022)
Ans: See above Qno. 3(Answer the following question briefly in your own words.)

21. What is the appearance of the lady? (2022)
Ans:  The lady in the poem 'La Belle Dafne Sans Merci' was a beautiful fairy-like lady. She had long hair he lively appearance was apparent in her wild eyes. her movement was also graceful.

22. She found me roots of relish sweet, 
And honey wild, and manna-dew, 
And sure in language strange, she said 
"I love thee true".    (2022)
Ans: These lines have been quoted from the poem,' La Belle Dame Sans Merci' by John Keats.
This stanza continues to describe the fairy woman's supernatural qualities. She feeds him sweet roots, wild honey, and manna. The "roots of relish sweet" refer to her human qualities, but the manna and the wild honey are symbolic of her supernatural qualities. In the Jewish religion, it is told that God fed the Israelites bread from heaven called manna. This same God promised the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey. Thus, the fact that the fairy woman was able to feed him bread from heaven, wild honey, and roots suggests that the fairy is part human, part supernatural. The reference to "language strange" is yet another evidence of the lady's unnatural lineage.

Extra-Imp question notes

1. What do the words 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' mean?
Ans: The words 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' mean "the beautiful lady without mercy".
2. What is the condition of the knight?
Ans: The Knight was loitering aimlessly with the anguish of unrequited love. He was pale haggard and tired looking. His forehead was sweaty with anguish and fever. He was sick and depressed.
3. What did the lady say to the knight?
Ans: In a strange language she said to the knight "I love thee true".
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