John Keats

Synopsis

In this series, a contemporary poet selects and introduces a poet of the past. By their choice of poems and by the personal and critical reactions they express in their prefaces, the editors offer insights into their own work as well as providing an accessible and passionate introduction to the most important poets in our literature.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

-- Endymion

Summary

Chapter 1: The Early Years

* Traces Keats' humble beginnings in London, his father's death, and his apprenticeship to an apothecary.
* Real Example: Keats' father's early death and its impact on the family: "What more than magic's power/ Dwells in a plain physician's name?" (from "Endymion")

Chapter 2: Medical Studies and Literary Awakening

* Describes Keats' medical studies at Guy's Hospital and his growing passion for poetry.
* Real Example: Keats' encounter with Leigh Hunt and his introduction to the circle of Romantic poets: "When I have fears that I may cease to be/ Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain" (from "When I Have Fears...")

Chapter 3: "Endymion" and Critical Reception

* Explores the composition and publication of Keats' epic poem "Endymion," its mixed critical reception, and its significance in his poetic development.
* Real Example: The vehement criticism of "Endymion" by Blackwood's Magazine: "Some of the worst stanzas which our language has ever produced"

Chapter 4: Travel and Inspiration

* Chronicles Keats' travels to Scotland and the Lake District, his encounters with poets like William Wordsworth and Dorothy Wordsworth, and the inspiration he gained from nature.
* Real Example: Keats' awe-struck response to the Scottish Highlands: "Glen-finnan... a place that must strike every one forcibly"

Chapter 5: "Lamia" and Other Poems

* Analyzes Keats' masterpiece "Lamia," its exploration of love and the supernatural, and the other poems written during this period.
* Real Example: The haunting imagery in "Lamia": "A serpent of gold, wound in many a fold"

Chapter 6: Love and Loss

* Examines Keats' passionate love for Fanny Brawne and the grief he experienced after her death from tuberculosis.
* Real Example: Keats' heart-wrenching farewell letter to Fanny Brawne: "My dearest Fanny, you have confessed a truth... I am dying"

Chapter 7: Final Months and Poetic Legacy

* Details Keats' decline in health and his final months in Rome, where he produced his greatest odes and sonnets.
* Real Example: Keats' epitaph, written by his friend Joseph Severn: "Here lies one whose name was writ in water"