Of John Keat's Poem 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci'

At the finest, simplest level, what is the definition of a feminist? Well, some say a feminist is a woman who resents traditional social ideologies and resents the male gender. Others may go as far as to say that the feminist movement is unnecessary because women have achieved considerable political and social equality. To clear common misconceptions, a feminist is an individual, male or female, who believes in political, social, and economic equality of both men and women on equivalent grounds. The feminist movement is not a collection of bitter women fighting for the elimination of the male gender. A true feminist does not achieve social progress at the expense of another individual rather a feminist pushes for women to be acknowledged and treated as …show more content…
Women were simply needed to take care of domestic affairs and produce children. They were not awarded the freedom to work or further their education. In fact, it was considered socially unacceptable for women to work. In the past, society imposed limitations on women and how they should act in society, similarly, today, despite the gains of the feminist movement, female prejudice and inequality exists within society. Women are held to a new standard now, the “standard of beauty” which entails the ideal women, both physically and emotionally suitable/acceptable to the standards of society. John Keat’s poem “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” illustrates a man’s sorrow for his unrequited love. Keat employs imagery to present the ideal female character. He describes the woman as “Full beautiful/Her hair was long” to depict one single aspect of the typical beauty standard. The “beauty standard’ encompasses a woman to possess physical and behavioral traits acceptable to societal expectations. Marge Piercy’s poem, “Barbie Doll” is about the stereotypical image of women in modern society. Society expects women to be presented as a dressed up “Barbie doll” who should fit the norm of beauty as a tall,