The Eve of St. Agnes

In the opening stanzas, the Beadsman acknowledges the carvings of “Knights, ladies, praying in dumb orat'ries” (2.7). There is a clear parallel between the stone figures in the chapel and the living knights and ladies taking part in the party; the statues likely depict real people who once danced, just as the revelers are dancing now, and who are long lost except for their stone likenesses. The Beadsman sees the statues as ancient figures immortalized in stone, both dead and, conversely, something beyond life. In this way, the statues are a metaphor for art: The artist will someday pass away, but the artwork and its message endure forever.

Within the party itself, the Beadsman sees “carved angels, ever eager-eyed” (4.7). They stand sentry over the partygoers, protecting them or perhaps reminding them of their virtues and conventions. Later, this imagery is reflected in Madeline; Porphyro remarks, “She seem’d a splendid angel, newly drest” (25.7). This again alludes to the relationship between the living and the dead, the stagnant and the flourishing. When Madeline wakes to see Porphyro waiting for her, she finds him “pale as smooth-sculptured stone” (33.9)—a stark contrast from the warmth of her dream.