Who Suffers the Most in "Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil": Isabella or Lorenzo? Anonymous 11th Grade

The idea of suffering is central the poem "Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil"; in fact, Keats presents the suffering of both the lovers, displayed through the semantic field of illness and pain. This is coupled with exclamations of emotion from both the characters and the narrator. The factor of social class in the poem, cannot be overlooked. Despite the demise of the both Isabella and Lorenzo, they do not suffer to the same degree whilst they're alive.

Lorenzo is one of Isabella's family's servants, thus he has been treated badly his whole life. The reader can tell this, from the negative depiction of the brothers, 'For them his ears gushed blood' suggesting that he had been treated unjustly previously. His suffering is enhanced by his poor quality of life, as Lorenzo, essentially, lived a sad life followed by an even more devastating death. You could argue that, because Isabella must endure a long emotional drawn-out process before she dies, her suffering is worse. The use of words such as 'linger' suggests she has no purpose and cannot leave her suffering. This idea is reflected in the structure of the poem as well, the rigid and constant stanza length mirrors Isabella's persistent emotional turmoil and how she cannot get out...