Lamia

By John Keats

Introduction by Margaret Robertson

Narrated by Denis Daly

Lamia is a narrative poem that reflects Keat's intensive exploration of Greek mythology. It first appeared in 1820 in a collection entitled Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St Agnes and Other Poems.

The poem describes the search of the god Hermes for a beautiful nymph, during which he encounters Lamia, who is trapped in the form of a serpent. At her fervent request, Hermes transforms Lamia into a human form and she departs to pursue a liaison with her lover, the glamorous Corinthian youth, Lycias. The relationship comes to a dramatic and bitter end when Lamia's true form is revealed to Lycias. Lamia disappears and Lycias dies from grief.