The Vision of Sir Launfal
E41743
The Vision of Sir Launfal is a narrative poem by James Russell Lowell that reimagines the Holy Grail legend to explore themes of charity, humility, and spiritual awakening.
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
narrative poem
→
poem → |
| author |
James Russell Lowell
→
|
| basedOn |
Holy Grail legend
→
|
| centralSymbol |
Holy Grail
→
cup of cold water → |
| contains |
Part I
→
Part II → Prelude I → Prelude II → |
| countryOfOrigin |
United States
→
|
| depicts |
a beggar at the castle gate
→
contrast between wealth and poverty → |
| didactic |
true
→
|
| firstPublicationYear |
1848
→
|
| focusesOn |
moral transformation of a knight
→
|
| form |
verse
→
|
| genre |
Arthurian poetry
→
religious poetry → |
| influencedBy |
Arthurian legend
→
Christian ethics → |
| language |
English
→
|
| literaryMovement |
American Romanticism
→
|
| literarySignificance |
popular 19th-century American poem
→
|
| mainCharacter |
Sir Launfal
→
|
| moral |
the Holy Grail is found through selfless love
→
true wealth lies in compassion for the poor → |
| narrativeDevice |
vision
→
|
| narrativePerspective |
third-person narration
→
|
| notableLine |
"Not what we give, but what we share,— / For the gift without the giver is bare"
→
|
| periodOfAction |
Middle Ages
→
|
| placeOfPublication |
Boston
→
|
| publisher |
Ticknor, Reed and Fields
→
|
| religiousContext |
Christianity
→
|
| resolution |
Sir Launfal attains spiritual insight through charity
→
|
| setting |
castle of Sir Launfal
→
medieval Europe → |
| structure |
two-part poem
→
|
| theme |
Christian charity
→
charity → humility → inner versus outer wealth → redemption → social justice → spiritual awakening → |
Referenced by (1)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
James Russell Lowell
→
|
notableWork |