Eve Of St Agnes Flashcards
(14 cards)
“The hare limped tenderly through the frozen grass and silent was the flock in woolly fold”
Anti romantic imagery, Gothic
“She sighed for Saint Agnes’s dreams, the sweetest of the year”
Madeleine‘s innocence, excitement, significance of Saint Agnes‘s eve
“Young Porphyro with heart on fire for Madeleine”
Hyperbolised love/lust characterisation as a tragic hero
“It is Saint Agnes’s eve yet men will murder upon holy days”
For shadows violence/conflict places out on Porphyros intentions
“A strategem“
Anti romantic nature of Porphyro’s plans, calculating deceit manipulation
“A cruel man and impious thou art sweet lady, let her pray, and sleep, and a dream “
Porphyro’s plot becomes clear. He does not have good intentions. Angela‘s reaction.
“Or look with ruffian passion on her face: (1)
good Angela believe me by these tears (2)
or I will even in a moment space (3)
awake with horrid shout my foemans ears” (4)
Porphyro’s manipulative attitude hyperbolic love self destructive
“Never on such a night have lovers met”
Impiety foreshadowing downfall a naturalness of love, Porphyro’s ambiguous characterisation
As though a tongueless nightingale should swell her throat in vain, and die, heart stifled, in her dell.
Aunty romantic imagery voicelessness of women Madeline status as a tragic victim
“Half hidden like a mermaid and seaweed “
Sexualisation of Madeline‘s most normal like bedtime activities, male gaze slow seductive pace Porphyro’s voyeurism
Awakening up, he took her hollow lute, (1)
tumultuous , (2)
and, chords that tenderest be(3)
Non-consent euphemism for sex Volta within the poem
How changed thou art how pallid chill and drear!
Ambiguity of whether Madeleine reciprocates Porphyro’s feelings shock illusion past relationship
“A famished pilgrim”
Aligns Porphyro with Keats stereotypical romantic tragic hero – Lorenzo and Isabella
“They glide like phantoms”
Ambiguity of tragic fall
