22 pages • 44 minutes read
John KeatsThe Eve of St. Agnes
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1820A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Reality and Dreaming
Dreams, and the tenuous barrier between them and waking, form the foundation of “The Eve of St. Agnes.” The story hinges on the superstition that, if a maiden follows certain rites, they will be shown a dream of their future love. A surprising requirement of this ritual is that the woman never “look behind, nor sideways” (6.8). This idea of not looking back recalls the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, another dream-like tale about crossing worlds in the name of love. It suggests the fragility of magic and dreaming—that, despite their power, they can be easily dissipated by doubt.
Unlike Orpheus, Madeline does manage to complete her ritual correctly and is rewarded with a dream of her beloved. When Porphyro wakes her, however, she is horrified at his mortal appearance and comments that he looks close to death. The irony in this moment is that when faced with the reality, she sees only its ability to decay. In her dream, Porphyro is strong and ageless but ephemeral. Despite their contrast, both are doomed to be lost.
At this point in the story, Madeline invites Porphyro into her dream where she can reunite with the immortal version of him. Depending on how one chooses to read the poem, it might be only a few moments until the lovers wake and decide to flee the castle together; or, it might be that their flight away from Madeline’s savage family towards their new life is only another facet of her dream world. The truth is left to the reader to decide. Porphyro calls Madeline his “sweet dreamer” and his “lovely bride” (38.1), the very thing promised by the ritual of St. Agnes. As they flesh, they’re faced with fantastical images: “an elfin-storm from faery land” (39.1) and “sleeping dragons all around” (40.2). These images could easily be metaphors for the dangers the couple faces, but they could also be literal snapshots of Madeline’s dream as she processes her own internal fears. Keats again highlights how reality and dreaming overlap and intertwine.
Towards the end of the narrative, dreams take a more sinister turn. The nobles of the party dream of “many a woe” (42.3) and “witch, and demon, and large coffin-worm” (42.5). The nightmares go so far as to kill Angela and the Beadsman during the night. Here Keats illustrates the dual nature of dreaming and how it has the power to shape reality for good or for ill.
Magic and Prayer
Magic framed by religion is at the heart of this poem, and prayer is introduced early on as the speaker describes the Beadsman in his chapel. Although the role is that of a person who is paid to pray, it is clear the character is devoted to his faith; he remains in the wintery cold with his fingers numb and his breath coming out as frost. Instead of attending the festivities, the man sits alone “for his soul’s reprieve, / And all night kept awake, for sinners’ sake to grieve” (3.8-9). By the end of the poem, these prayers did not keep him safe but brought him peace in his final hours.
The rite of St. Agnes that drives the narrative is a spell wrapped inside a prayer—or vice versa. St. Agnes is a saint who was canonized after protecting her chastity and Christian ideals from a variety of challenges, and who later became a patron saint of virgins and young girls. The ritual Madeline undergoes to see her future husband, however, likely has roots in much older Pagan traditions. While divination and dreamwork would have been looked down upon by religious authorities (such as the Beadsman), taking the actions in a saint’s name gives the ritual a cultural respectability. The speaker shares that Madeline heard of the ritual from “old dames” (5.9), meaning the superstition has been passed down through generations. Thus, the ritual derives its power from layers of belief as much as its patron saint.
Although the magic of the poem is shown through the lens of religion, magical imagery is present throughout the story. While Porphyro plans his visit to Madeline’s room, he intends to arrive as “legion’d faeries pac’d the coverlet” (19.6), and he reflects that “Never on such a night have lovers met, / Since Merlin paid his Demon all the monstrous debt” (19.8-9). Although Madeline’s spell is framed as a prayer, the prevalent idea they both have is of arcane fantasy and Pagan beliefs. Not only does the Christian framing device have a cultural effect, it likely has a personal one too; the lovers allow themselves the luxury of dreaming without the inflicted shame and self-doubt of crossing religious boundaries.
Love Versus Convention
This poem plays with a dichotomy of passionate young love and societal convention. The clearest example comes in the rivalry between Porphyro and Madeline’s family. Although it is never specified what Porphyro has done to earn this hatred, one might assume there is a feud between two families. In the grand tradition of the poem’s predecessor Romeo and Juliet, the two people fall in love despite of—or perhaps because of— the stigma and prejudice they have grown up with. The forbidden nature of the romance creates tangible external obstacles that bar Porphyro’s way to Madeline. There is never any hint of internal obstacle or doubt; in this instance, the love they share is the dominating force.
These obstacles are made clear when Porphyro encounters Angela, Madeline’s nurse. She is the embodiment of tradition and security, horrified at the idea of letting Porphyro enter Madeline’s room alone and disproving of Madeline’s consortion with old magic. Though her heart eventually softens towards Porphyro’s love, she warns him, “thou must needs the lady wed, / Or may I never leave my grave among the dead” (20.8-9)—he must marry Madeline afterwards, or Angela will never be allowed into heaven for her role in the night’s events.
Another imposition of societal convention is seen in the rite of St. Agnes itself. The ritual requires the woman performing it to be a virgin, as St. Agnes was heavily associated with noble chastity and religious purity. While it appears to be a celebration of love that goes against tradition and religion, it is in fact a celebration of the traditional path of maiden to wife. By performing this remnant of pre-Christian magic, Madeline conversely embraces the path expected of her. However, her love for Porphyro overcomes this stigma and they make love before being wed—another example of passionate love overcoming the boundaries of stigma and expectation.
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By John Keats
