La Belle Dame sans Mercy

[1] The poem is written in a series of octaves (huitains in the French) each line of which contains eight syllables (octosyllabes), which is also the style of the poet François Villon in the "Ballade des dames du temps jadis" written later in the 15th century.

Their dialogue is framed by the observations of the narrator-poet who is mourning the recent death of his lady.

The first 24 stanzas describe the mourning poet, the self-described most unhappy lover ("le plus dolent des amoureux"), as he embarks alone on horseback, driven to wander by Sadness (Tristesse) and divested of his capacity to feel by Death (Mort).

[2] After wandering for a time, the narrator-poet finds himself obliged to attend a party with two of his friends.

[3] At the end of the twenty-fourth stanza, the narrator-poet takes on the role of silent observer, hiding himself behind a trellis.