A Story from Boccaccio by John Keats

"Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil" narrates the tragic tale of Isabella, a young woman from an affluent merchant family, who falls for Lorenzo, a man employed by her brothers. To safeguard their family's reputation, her brothers kill Lorenzo. Heartbroken, Isabella discovers his body, buries his head in a pot of basil, and ultimately grieves herself to death. This opening stanza serves as a serene moment before the impending chaos — it introduces us to the two lovers before tragedy strikes.

Giovanni Boccaccio was a 14th-century Italian writer, most famous for the Decameron, a collection of 100 stories shared by ten individuals taking refuge from the Black Plague. Among these tales is the brief and impactful story of Isabella and Lorenzo. Keats was particularly captivated by it, as Romantic poets were often enchanted by medieval Italian sources—they found them exotic, passionate, and a refreshing break from the cold rationalism of their own time.

A palmer was a medieval Christian pilgrim who had traveled to the Holy Land and carried a palm leaf as proof of their journey. Keats uses this term metaphorically: in the "eye" of Love (referring to love's judgment or court), Lorenzo is a palmer — a devoted, wandering worshipper. This comparison gives him a sense of sincere, almost religious devotion.

That triple repetition serves a purpose. It establishes a rhythm of inevitability—each line introduces another everyday situation (meals, sharing a home, sleeping) that their love makes impossible to navigate without emotion. The anaphora also reflects how obsessive feelings operate: they seem to pop up no matter where you look.

Ottava rima consists of eight lines with an ABABABCC rhyme scheme. This form has its roots in Italian epic poetry and was even employed by Boccaccio. By selecting it for a tale inspired by Boccaccio, Keats intentionally pays homage to his source, as the structure embodies the essence of Italian Renaissance storytelling. The final couplet (CC) in each stanza provides Keats with a fitting opportunity to deliver an emotional impact or pause for reflection.

"Simple" here refers to innocence and a lack of pretense, rather than a lack of intelligence. Keats is already mourning her from the very first line, aware of her fate. Describing her as "poor" and "simple" reflects the narrator's affection for her and highlights her vulnerability. This choice of words establishes the elegiac tone that permeates the entire poem.

Keats himself wasn't fond of it—he described it as "too smokeable" (meaning too easy to mock) and "mawkish." However, readers have disagreed with him for two centuries. The poem is widely taught and included in anthologies, appreciated for its emotional honesty, vivid sensory imagery, and its exploration of class and violence beneath the love story. While it may not be as formally perfect as "Ode to a Nightingale," it carries a rawness that some of his more polished odes lack.

The full poem explores themes of love, class, and greed, as the brothers murder Lorenzo partly due to social and financial motives. It also delves into grief and the Gothic intertwining of love and death. Keats critiques mercantile capitalism in a way that feels surprisingly contemporary, pointing out that the brothers' wealth is rooted in exploitation. While this opening stanza presents love, the tone of the poem shifts dramatically as it progresses.