Comparison of Boccacios Lisabetta and Keats' Isabella

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Comparison of Boccacios Lisabetta and Keats' Isabella

In Keats's version of 'Decameron' he uses the original as a base to

reflect his own style and writing techniques. He basically makes it

his own and he does this in a number of ways. The most obvious of

these adaptations is the fact that Keats has turned a novel style

piece of writing into poetic verse.

'Fair Isabel, poor simple Isabel!

Lorenzo, a young palmer in loves eye!'

This is the first two lines of Keats's Isabella, from the start Keats

uses imaginative description, this again is another difference of the

two. Boccaccio's writing is far more factual, this creates a good

affect but Keats chooses the other option and lets his imagination and

also the reader's imagination to tell the story.

'Know then that there were at Messina three young men, that were

brothers and merchants, who were left very rich on the death of their

father'

As you can see by comparing the two beginnings of each piece, it is

easy to see their differences already. In the beginning of Keats's

version he immediately refers to the lovers, he bases his whole poem

around the love of these two people, however Boccaccio's original is

quite different, he starts off by talking of the brothers, and he

instead of love his story revolves around murder and treachery. This

major difference could be put down to the fact that the two pieces

were written 4 centuries apart, Boccaccio's being written in the 14th

and Keats's in the 18th. This I feel plays a huge part in the

differences between them, writing styles had changed dramatically

since Boccaccio wrote the original 'Decameron'. This is clearly

visible in the languages they both use, Boccaccio uses old

contemporary grammar and Keats's uses a far more modern style and

language.

'With every morn their love grew tenderer

With every eve deeper and tenderer still;

He might not in house, field, or garden stir,

But her full shape would all his seeing fill'

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