Midwinter Night's Dream: "The Eve Of St. Agnes" As Sacred Ritual In The Old Religion Of The Britons
Keats not only used classical Greek myth in his poetry, but he also employed elements of the old religion of Britain known as the Craft, Witchcraft, or Faery. Keats incorporated elements of the old religion in "The Eve of St. Agnes" to present as his "plot" a specific ritual: the...
| Published in: | Journal of ritual studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Dep.
[1987]
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| In: |
Journal of ritual studies
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| Further subjects: | B
Love poetry
B Critical readings B Myths B Religious rituals B Christianity B Priestesses B Stanzas B Mothers |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | Keats not only used classical Greek myth in his poetry, but he also employed elements of the old religion of Britain known as the Craft, Witchcraft, or Faery. Keats incorporated elements of the old religion in "The Eve of St. Agnes" to present as his "plot" a specific ritual: the initiation and transformation of the maiden into the mother. Moreover, by weaving together two strands of imagery, Christian and Faery, Keats has presented the triumph of the old religion over Christianity as his theme. This article includes a brief review of the response of critics to the ritualistic and mystical aspects of the poem, as well as a discussion of other studies of ritual in literature that contrast with or complement this presentation. The body of the essay is a Faery reading of "The Eve of St. Agnes" in which the author explicates the poem by identifying and delineating both the structure of the ancient ritual as Keats interprets it and the interplay between Faery and Christian imagery. Major characters in the narrative are analyzedAngela the Crone, Madeline the maidento-be-mother, Porphyro the young god and the beadsman, the lone representative of the Christian church. |
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| ISSN: | 0890-1112 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of ritual studies
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