Theme of Beauty in La Belle Dame Sans Merci Essay -- John Keats

In the poem â€Å"La Belle Dame Sans Merci† by John Keats, the main theme is the idea that beauty is only skin deep and can be an extremely painful emotional experience. The title loosely translates into â€Å"the beautiful woman with no mercy†. As we read the poem it becomes clear that the knight had his feelings shattered by this woman on his steed. Keats uses a number of different language techniques to make the poem effective. The first is dividing the poem into two parts through the use of 2 speakers. We do not know who the first speaker is, probably someone who is passing through the area. In stanza 1 and 2 the poet makes use of repetition as he questions the knight about his condition â€Å"Ah, what can ail thee, wretched wight?† line 1 stanza 1 and 2. He asks him why he is â€Å"so haggard, and so wo...