Isabella or the Pot of Basil 🪴

Fair Isabel, __ simple Isabel

Lorenzo, a young __ in __'s eye!

Fair Isabel, poor simple Isabel

Lorenzo, a young palmer in Love's eye!

Immediately confirms the tragedy by subverting Megalopsychia of Isabel, whilst also foregrounding the love that will destroy Lorenzo

They could not in the self-same __ dwell

Without some stir of heart, some __

They could not in the self-same mansion dwell

Without some stir of heart, some malady

'They could not' followed by normal activities shows how consuming their relationship is

With every __ their love grew __

With every morn their love grew tenderer

'Morn' can be heard as polysemous when spoken. Juxtaposition of 'morn' and 'tenderer' creates tragic inevitability that mourning and love will coincide.

Her lute string gave an __ of his name

She spoilt her half-done __ with the same.

Her lute string gave an echo of his name

She spoilt her half-done embroidery with the same.

Describing Lorenzo's name as an 'echo' demonstrates his impermanence and that he will be forgotten.

His name and their love will 'spoil' their potential for a beautiful life.

And from her bedroom __ he would catch

Her beauty farther than the __ spies

And from her bedroom window he would catch

Her beauty farther than the falcon spies

Their love is described as a falcon (predator) and will destroy them both.

A whole long month of __ in this sad __

A whole long month of May in this sad plight

Antithesis between May and Summer and the 'sad plight' they are undergoing. Demonstrates that their separation is unnatural, so when the brothers kill Lorenzo they break the natural order of their lives.

'I will __ her __' - Lorenzo

'I will drink her tears' - Lorenzo

Decides to tell her he loves her, foreshadowing his future state.

Alas! When __ is both meek and __!

Alas! When passion is both meek and wild!

'meek and wild': Reflects Keats' relationship with Brawne?

She saw it __ very pale and __

She saw it waxing very pale and dead

Isabella is noticing the same lovesickness in Lorenzo as she had. This exacerbates the idea that they must be together in order to live, heightening the tragedy when they are torn apart.

''But I cannot live another __, and not my __ shrive'' - Lorenzo

''But I cannot live another night, and not my passion shrive''

Lorenzo only creates two possibilities: either he confesses his love or dies of love sickness. However, this infatuation has blinded him from the truth that reality will destroy their love.

Great __ grew, like a lusty __ in __'s caress

Great happiness grew, like a lusty flower in June's caress

Direct link between love, nature and Summer, tragically foreshadowing Lorenzo's later state within the basil pot.

At close they met, all elves, before the __

Had taken from the __ its pleasant __

Close in a __ of __ and musk.

At close they met, all elves, before the dusk

Had taken from the stars its pleasant veil

Close in a bower of hyacinth and musk.

Night allows them to shine brightly as there is no one to spy on them. However, the setting of the Bower along with Keat's use of the Shakespearean trope of stars representing fate creates tragic irony as they are surrounded by their destiny.

Many a weary __ did swelt in torched __ and __ factories

Many a weary hand did swelt in torched mines and noisy factories

Sudden industrial imagery contrasts with the lush imagery seen earlier, overtly demonstrating the antagonistic force the brothers will play against the love between Lorenzo and Isabella.

Why were they __? Because red-lin'd __

Were richer than the songs of __ years?

Why were they proud? Because red-lin'd accounts

Were richer than the songs of Grecian years?

Repetition of 'Why were they proud?' allows Keat's narrative interjection to hold an angry tone. This is the most applicable to Keat's experience: money is seen as more valuable than art.

in hungry __ and gainful __

Cruel __

in hungry pride and gainful cowardice

Cruel clay

Keat's is directly addressing the nature of capitalist culture and how it is destroying the Romantic ideals of life he wished society to achieve.

Idea of 'cruel clay' alludes to Genesis, creating the idea that these brothers are made of pure cruelty.

'twas their plan to __ her by degrees

To some high __ and his __ trees

'twas their plan to coax her by degrees

To some high noble and his olive trees

The brother's plan was to marry her to high ranking nobles so they could inherit money. They plan to use Isabella as a transactional tool.

For they resolved in some __ dim

To __ Lorenzo, and there __ him.

For they resolved in some forest dim

To kill Lorenzo, and there bury him.

The brothers plan to kill Lorenzo in a forest. Tragedy grows as we become complicit in their crimes by knowing in advance.

''Ah! what if I should __ thee, when so fain

I am to stifle all the heavy __

of a poor three hours __?''

''Ah! what if I should lose thee, when so fain

I am to stifle all the heavy sorrow

of a poor three hours absence?''

Massive dramatic irony. Lorenzo promises he will only be gone for three hours. This moment builds pathos as we know his fate.

Sick and __ the brother's __ in the ford did seem, Lorenzo's flush'd with __.

Sick and wan the brother's faces in the ford did seem, Lorenzo's flush'd with love.

Heightens the brother's roles as tragic antagonists as they are displayed in direct contrast to Lorenzo.

They pass'd the __,

Into a __ quiet for the slaughter,

--

There was Lorenzo __ and buried in,

They pass'd the water

Into a forest quiet for the slaughter

--

There was Lorenzo slain and buried in

Keats purposefully lets the murder happen outside of his narration in order to force the readers to imagine, or neglect to imagine, his death. This also serves to heighten the futility of his death.

Each __ by his being a murderer.

Each richer by his being a murderer.

Direct attack on Capitalist culture and the destructive power it has.

In the mid days of autumn, [...]

The __ of Winter comes from far away,

[...]

__ among the __ and the leaves.

In the mid days of autumn, [...]

The breath of Winter comes from far away,

[...]

death among the bushes and the leaves.

Change in setting from Summer to Autumn acts to exacerbate the atmosphere of death developing in the poem. The coming of Winter acts to signify that death and tragedy is also coming.

So __ Isabel

By gradual __ from beaty fell

So sweet Isabel

By gradual decay from beaty fell

Isabella is dying and decaying alongside nature.

It was a vision - in the drowsy __

The __ of midnight, at her couch's __

Lorenzo stood, and __: the forest tomb

It was a vision - in the drowsy gloom

The dull of midnight, at her couch's foot

Lorenzo stood, and wept: the forest tomb

Night has now become a place of anagnorisis and truth rather than the previous mask over reality which allowed them to exist in secret.

''Go, shed one __ upon my heather-bloom,

and it shall __ me within the __.'' - Lorenzo

''Go, shed one tear upon my heather-bloom,

and it shall comfort me within the tomb.''

Tragic reminder of Lorenzo's earlier promise that he will 'drink her tears', highlighting the tragic difference in their love before and after the murder.

''But there is a __- a brother's bloody __!'' - Isabella

''But there is a crime- a brother's bloody knife!''

Anagnorisis - Isabella has realised the truth and now tragic dénouement will follow.

The __ came,

and they had found Lorenzo's earthy __

the flint was there, the __ at his head.

The evening came,

and they had found Lorenzo's earthy bed

the flint was there, the berries at his head.

Once again, night and darkness now represent the uncovering of truth showing the disruption the murder has bought.

Upon the __ spot she seem'd to __

Upon the murderous spot she seem'd to grow

Being near to Lorenzo undoes her decaying state and brings her life. Gothic.

The old __ stood beside her wondering,

until her __ felt pity to the core

The old nurse stood beside her wondering,

until her heart felt pity to the core

We have vicarious experience through the nurse as we are made to feel the same pathos she does.

Love never __, but lives, immortal Lord,

If __ impersonate was ever dead,

__ Isabella kiss'd it, and low moan'd.

T'was love; cold,-__ indeed, but not __.

Love never dies, but lives, immortal Lord,

If love impersonate was ever dead,

Pale Isabella kiss'd it, and low moan'd.

T'was love; cold,-dead indeed, but not dethroned.

Despite the first tragedy they still have the capacity to live in peace. The brother's betrayal of that peace again will bring about the final tragedy.

Then in a __ scarf [...] of precious flowers [...] and __ liquids come with odorous __

Then in a silken scarf [...] of precious flowers [...] and divine liquids come with odorous ooze

Isabella is treating the head like a Catholic relic.

and o'er it set sweet __, which her __ kept ever wet.

and o'er it set sweet basil, which her tears kept ever wet.

Another allusion to Lorenzo's 'I will drink her tears.' They have found an equilibrium in mourning and love that the brothers will destroy.

And so she ever __ it with thin tears

Whence thick, and __ and __ it grew

And so she ever fed it with thin tears

Whence thick, and green and beautiful it grew

Final allusion to Lorenzo's 'I will drink her tears.'

Tragic union. Lorenzo's head feeds the plant and Isabella's tears water it. Lorenzo is effectively reborn.

but in __ hung over her __ basil evermore

but in peace hung over her sweet basil evermore

Isabella is at peace with the basil, when it is taken away this will end.

Spirits in __, lift up your heads, and __

Spirits in grief, lift up your heads, and smile

There is a beauty in the tragedy. Could be applied to Linda in DoaS during the Requiem.

Yet they contriv'd to __ the basil pot and examine it in __ place

Yet they contriv'd to steal the basil pot and examine it in secret place

They are exacerbating and accelerating Isabella's death. They have taken Lorenzo from her twice.

Away they went, with __ upon their heads, to __.

Away they went, with blood upon their heads, to banishment.

They are exiled like Cain and have been served tragic justice.

For Isabel, __ Isabel, will die;

Will die a death too __ and __,

Now they have ta'en away her __ sweet.

For Isabel, sweet Isabel, will die;

Will die a death too lone and incomplete,

Now they have ta'en away her basil sweet.

From mouth to __ through all the country pass'd:

Still is the burthen __- ''O __,

To steal my __ pot away from me!''

From mouth to mouth through all the country pass'd:

Still is the burthen sung - ''O cruelty,

To steal my basil pot away from me!''

Isabella's tragedy has been eternalised, like Happy choosing to continue the salesman's life.