Influence and Imitation

John Keats was well-known for trying to maintain a sense of originality in both his style and his works. He was leery of the influences of other authors. In fact, one of the reasons he abandoned his epic Hyperion was that he felt his imitation of Milton’s style was too perfect. Yet “Le Belle Dame sans Merci” and “The Eve of St. Agnes” are both influenced by past works, and influence other future works. “St. Agnes” obviously borrows Romeo and Juliet’s theme of star-crossed lovers; Porphyro and Madeline come from families at odds and are aided in their secret union by an old nurse. “La Belle” draws on Arthurian tales of mysterious, seductive ladies. Both of these themes will be adopted by J.R.R. Tolkien in his greatest work, The Silmarillion. The story of Beren and Luthien resembles a fusion of both of these poems, as the Man Beren must overcome the challenges of loving an Elf, especially one as enchanting and insubstantial as Luthien. The scene of their first meeting is eerily similar to both poems.