Isabella

• "Fair Isabel, poor simple Isabel!"

  The first line of the poem describes Isabella as an innocent and weak character. She comes across as the tragic victim.
• "With every morn their love grew tenderer, with every eve deeper and tender still;"

  There's a build up for a tragic downfall and a sense that the idea of order is going to be disrupted. (dramatic irony)
• "But her full shape would all his seeing fill;"

  Physical Description of Isabella - comes across as somewhat intimate and sexual on Lorenzo's part.
• "Until sweet Isabella's untouched cheek."

  Shows the purity of Isabella. That she is still sweet and innocents.
• "Alas! When passion is both meek and wild!"

  Narrators voice (sort of sarcastic) appears to mock the romance between these two characters. The narration brings the reader out of the story.
• "A dreary night of love and misery,"

  Contrast in nouns. Shows that not everything is perfect in this poem.
• "Lorenzo!' - here she ceased her timid quest."

  The first time Isabella speaks, also shows how they don't communicate their love to one another. Adding to the romance factor of this poem.
• "Believe how I love thee,"

  Lorenzo's confession of love - could be considered his hamartia. So this is a turning point within the poem.
• "his erewhile timid lips grew bold,"


  Development in character, he gains confidence when confessing love.
• "Grew, like a lusty flower, in June's caress."


  Their romance is used as a metaphor for their love.
• "The inward fragrance of each other's heart."


  Romantic imagery and description.
• "Unknown of any, free from whispering tale."

  Lorenzo and Isabella's love blinds them and how reality is nothing to them only love matters.
• "Were they unhappy then? - it cannot be-"

  Narrator breaks the story again, stopping us from getting attached to the characters.
• "Too many tears for lovers have been shed,"

  Narrator commenting and mocking past love poems.
• "Know there is richest juice in poison-flowers."

  Foreshadowing of what is to come within the poem.
• "With her two brothers this fair lady dwelt, enriched from ancestral merchandise."


  Introduction of the brother who can be considered to be the Tragic Villains within the story.
• "And many once proud-quivering loins did melt."

  Suggestion that the brothers are either attractive or intimidating.
• "twas their plan to coax her by degrees to some high noble and his olive-trees."

  They had a plan to use Isabella to gain more wealth and have personal gain, they also consider her as weak.
• "To make the youngest for his crime atone;"

  The brothers want Lorenzo to pay, for ruining their plan.
• "To kill Lorenzo, and there bury him."

  Blunt sentence contrasts the flowering language that is consistent throughout the poem.
• "Bowed a fair greeting to these serpents' whine;"

  Shows Lorenzo innocents and blindness towards the brothers plotting. Serpents have religions connotations of temptation.
• "He saw her features bright."

  Description as Isabella being happy, represents the clam before the storm.
• "I was in pain lest I should miss bid thee a good morrow:"

  Use of dramatic irony, the audience know that they are not going to see each other again.
• "sick and wan the brothers' faces in the ford did seem."

  Brother's disgust at Lorenzo's love.
• "A forest quiet for the slaughter."

  The natural environment has a purpose. Has bad connotation within this stanza.
• "So the two brother and their murdered man"

  Lorenzo is reduced to a dead man and becomes possession of the two brothers.
• "There was Lorenzo slain and buried in,"


  Blunt description of what happened. It isn't dragged out.
• "Poor girl! put on thy stifling window#s weed,"

  Isabella is considered weak, and has been manipulated.
• "Spreading her perfect arms upon the air,"

  Another description of Isabella being perfect and pretty.
• "O misery!"


  Narrator interrupts the story and the flow.
• "But selfishness, love's cousin."


  Good imagery.
• "Came tragic - passion not to be subdued, and sorrow for her love in travels rude."

  Idea of tragedy being put out there.
• "in torched mines and noisy factories"

  Separation of the world of love and the real world.