Edexcel GCSE English Literature

La Belle Dame sans Merci

Edexcel GCSE English Literature revision on La Belle Dame sans Merci. Aligned to the Edexcel GCSE English Literature 1ET0 specification. This bank has 15 practice questions on this topic.

About this topic

O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, Alone and palely loitering? The sedge has wither'd from the lake, And no birds sing. O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, So haggard and so woe-begone? The squirrel's granary is full, And the harvest's done. I see a lily on thy brow, With anguish moist and fever-dew, And on thy cheeks a fading rose Fast withereth too. I met a lady in the meads, Full beautiful—a faery's child, Her hair was long, her foot was light, And her eyes were wild. I made a garland for her head, And bracelets too, and fragrant zone; She look'd at me as she did love, And made sweet moan. I set her on my pacing steed, And nothing else saw all day long, For sidelong would she bend, and sing A faery's song. She found me roots of relish sweet, And honey wild, and manna-dew, And sure in language strange she said— 'I love thee true'. She took me to her elfin grot, And there she wept and sigh'd full sore, And there I shut her wild …

Sample questions (3 of 15)

  1. Question 1

    Who is the speaker of the lines: 'O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, / Alone and palely loitering?'

    • A) The Knight
    • B) The Belle Dame
    • C) The Narrator
    • D) The Pale Kings
    Show answer

    Answer: The Narrator

    The first stanza is spoken by a narrator who encounters the knight in a desolate landscape. This frames the poem as a narrative recollection.

  2. Question 2

    What literary technique is used in: 'And on thy cheeks a fading rose / Fast withereth too'?

    • A) Metaphor
    • B) Simile
    • C) Personification
    • D) Hyperbole
    Show answer

    Answer: Metaphor

    Keats compares the knight's complexion to a rose to suggest the fragility of his life and beauty. The comparison is direct, making it a metaphor rather than a simile.

  3. Question 3

    What does the line 'She look'd at me as she did love' reveal about the Knight's perception of the Belle Dame?

    • A) He is certain of her affection
    • B) He is suspicious of her motives
    • C) He is uncertain if her love was genuine
    • D) He believes she is a goddess
    Show answer

    Answer: He is uncertain if her love was genuine

    The word 'as' introduces a sense of doubt or perception. The knight is reflecting on the memory and questioning whether the display of love was authentic or a performance.

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