La Belle Dame sans Merci Study Guide

La Belle Dame sans Merci by John Keats

"La Belle Dame sans Merci" is a poem by John Keats written in 1819, the title taken from a poem written by Alain Chartier in the 15th century. The poem consists of twelve four-line stanzas with an ABCB rhyme scheme. The poem tells of a knight-at-arms standing by a lake during the winter, recalling how he was seduced by a beautiful woman, "La Belle Dame sans Merci," who lulled him to sleep and how he awoke alone by the lake.

La Belle Dame sans Merci Book Notes