The setting of John Keats's poem La Belle Dame sans Merci is primarily late autumn transitioning into winter. This is indicated by natural imagery such as "the sedge has withered from the lake," "the granary is full," and "the harvest's done," which suggest the end of the growing season and the approach of winter
. The specific physical location is a bleak, cold hillside near a lake, where the knight is found "alone and palely loitering" after awakening from a haunting dream
. Earlier in the poem, the knight recounts meeting the mysterious lady in a more lush, meadow-like environment ("meads"), which contrasts with the desolate setting where he now lingers
. Thus, the poem's setting moves from a vibrant, fairy-tale meadow to a stark, wintry hillside, reflecting the knightâs fall from enchantment to desolation and emphasizing themes of isolation and lost vitality
