Introduction
The Man Behind the Poetry
John Keats was born in London, 1795, to a middle class family. He had three siblings; George, Tom and Frances. At the age of seven, his father died, and his mother remarried very quickly for financial and business reasons.
John was schooled at Enfield and discovered a love for literature. However, Keats’ mother died in 1810, and Richard Abbey became involved with the Keats children. Abbey was conservative, and didn’t believe that literature and poetry writing was a financially viable career. John was taken out of school, and began training to become a surgeon, which he abandoned in 1814 returning to his interest in poetry.
In 1818, Keats’ was made to cut an inspirational tour of the Lakes District short to nurse his younger brother Tom, who contracted Tuberculosis. Keats was forced to observe the horrific progress of the disease, as he had whilst caring for his mother. At this time, Keats released Endymion, which received harsh criticisms and a variety of personal attacks relating to his middle-class background and doctoral training.
In 1819, Keats – 23 - met Fanny Brawne, an 18 year old whom he had a turbulent and flirtatious relationship with. The two eventually became engaged, but could not marry as Keats wasn’t wealthy enough. In this year, John also wrote prolifically, completing To Autumn, Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode to a Nightingale and Bright Star. However, during this time, Keats’ health began to decline significantly after developing a sore throat on his Lakes Tour.
After travelling to Italy in 1820, John was confined to bed in 1821, and died in February. Keats requested that “Here lies One Whose Name was writ in Water”, was to inscribed on his tombstone, as he feared he would never produce any poetry of significance or importance.
John was schooled at Enfield and discovered a love for literature. However, Keats’ mother died in 1810, and Richard Abbey became involved with the Keats children. Abbey was conservative, and didn’t believe that literature and poetry writing was a financially viable career. John was taken out of school, and began training to become a surgeon, which he abandoned in 1814 returning to his interest in poetry.
In 1818, Keats’ was made to cut an inspirational tour of the Lakes District short to nurse his younger brother Tom, who contracted Tuberculosis. Keats was forced to observe the horrific progress of the disease, as he had whilst caring for his mother. At this time, Keats released Endymion, which received harsh criticisms and a variety of personal attacks relating to his middle-class background and doctoral training.
In 1819, Keats – 23 - met Fanny Brawne, an 18 year old whom he had a turbulent and flirtatious relationship with. The two eventually became engaged, but could not marry as Keats wasn’t wealthy enough. In this year, John also wrote prolifically, completing To Autumn, Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode to a Nightingale and Bright Star. However, during this time, Keats’ health began to decline significantly after developing a sore throat on his Lakes Tour.
After travelling to Italy in 1820, John was confined to bed in 1821, and died in February. Keats requested that “Here lies One Whose Name was writ in Water”, was to inscribed on his tombstone, as he feared he would never produce any poetry of significance or importance.
Poetry Overview
Common Themes and Ideas
- The natural process of transcience; life growing to maturity, and then declining into death.
- Fragile nature of the human existence
- Use of personal experiences to stimulate a universal message
- Paradoxical relationships
- Birth/Life and death
- Mortality and immortality
- Dreams/visions and reality
- Immersion in passion and the desire to escape passion
- The association of love and pain
- Issues of identity
- Nature
- The contemplation of beauty
- Adoration for the Ancient World
Connecting Keats to the Paradigms
Philosophical
Immanuel Kant - Philosopher
Many of Keats' poem's parallel the ideas of Immanuel Kant, presented in the Critique of Pure Reason. In particular, his theory of 'transcendental idealism'. Kant believes that an individual's experience of objects, nature, people etc. is about how they appear to them, and not about how they actually exist or appear. Kant implies that the human experience is largely subjective, and will vary significantly between individuals.
Within the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant also expresses his beliefs about the organisation of the mind and the imagination as a source of order for the individual, and the greater society. Kant concludes that the imagination is extremely powerful force.
Kant's ideas work well with Keats' poetry, and should be considered when attempting to introduce the paradigms into essays. Keats, as a Romantic, has a lot of love for the imagination, with a number of his poems taking his reader's on an imaginative journey. Poems, such as La Belle Dame Sans Merci, To Autumn, Ode to a Nightingale and Fancy
Within the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant also expresses his beliefs about the organisation of the mind and the imagination as a source of order for the individual, and the greater society. Kant concludes that the imagination is extremely powerful force.
Kant's ideas work well with Keats' poetry, and should be considered when attempting to introduce the paradigms into essays. Keats, as a Romantic, has a lot of love for the imagination, with a number of his poems taking his reader's on an imaginative journey. Poems, such as La Belle Dame Sans Merci, To Autumn, Ode to a Nightingale and Fancy
Scientific
Sir Isaac Newton - Enlightenment Scientist
Many students choose to discuss key thinkers and significant historical influences that reflect similar ideas of the composers. However, it may also be a good idea to discuss some that challenge or contrast the ideas expressed by the composer.
Isaac Newton, an Enlightenment scientist, believed the physical or natural world, was ordered, subject to a variety of laws able to be mathematically explained. His three laws of motion, explained in Principia, dominated the scientific view of the physical universe, claiming there were ‘natural’ laws that dictated the Earth.
This would have infuriated Romantic’s, as they believed the opposite. Romanticism idolised the natural world, which they believed was completely organic and free from structure and explanation. Keats’ response to Newton’s ideas was to communicate the supreme beauty and restorative powers of nature. You can find this within To Autumn, On the Sea and Ode to a Nightingale.
Isaac Newton, an Enlightenment scientist, believed the physical or natural world, was ordered, subject to a variety of laws able to be mathematically explained. His three laws of motion, explained in Principia, dominated the scientific view of the physical universe, claiming there were ‘natural’ laws that dictated the Earth.
This would have infuriated Romantic’s, as they believed the opposite. Romanticism idolised the natural world, which they believed was completely organic and free from structure and explanation. Keats’ response to Newton’s ideas was to communicate the supreme beauty and restorative powers of nature. You can find this within To Autumn, On the Sea and Ode to a Nightingale.
Religious
Romantics used nature as a medium to worship God
The huge influence Christianity once had on European society had already declined significantly during Age of Enlightenment. Enlightenment thinkers argued that church philosophy, the imposition of strict moral codes and the premise of blind faith, preyed on people’s ignorance and superstition.
The Romantics also agreed with this, to an extent, seeing structured religion as denying the individual determination of the masses. Instead, they preferred Pantheism. This view sees nature as an organic force, governed by a Spiritual presence and the omnipresence of God.
Keats' poetry definitely supports these views, as he loved to use sensory and aural imagery to share the beauty of the natural world. Great examples of this, Pantheism and religious allusion can be found in Bright Star, To Autumn, On the Sea and Ode to a Nightingale.
The Romantics also agreed with this, to an extent, seeing structured religion as denying the individual determination of the masses. Instead, they preferred Pantheism. This view sees nature as an organic force, governed by a Spiritual presence and the omnipresence of God.
Keats' poetry definitely supports these views, as he loved to use sensory and aural imagery to share the beauty of the natural world. Great examples of this, Pantheism and religious allusion can be found in Bright Star, To Autumn, On the Sea and Ode to a Nightingale.
Prescribed Poems
To Autumn - Read the poem HERE
http://mural.uv.es/ewilcan/keatstoautumn.html - Explains the structure of the poem, provides an interpretation of the poem's meaning and some poetical techniques used by Keats.
La Belle Dame Sans Merci - Read the poem HERE
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/belle_alt.html - An interesting discussion of Keats' use of and reliance upon the imagination within this poem. There is a huge amount of resources on this poem available on the internet, and most likely in your school and local library, that will aid you in your analysis of this poem.
Ode to a Nightingale - Read the poem HERE
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/nighting.html - Provides an in-depth, stanza by stanza analysis of the poem. Although written by academics, it is relatively easy to understand and is a great place to start when studying this poem. Again, this is a very popular poem, and there is a wide variety of resources available for you to access.
Fancy - Read the poem HERE
http://www.helium.com/items/2285482-the-master-hides-his-tool-marks-perhaps-too-well - There are very few resources for this poem on the internet, but make sure you check your local and school library for Romanticism study guides and critical analysis' of Keats' works. This site provides a quick analysis of Fancy, with some great techniques highlighted for use in essays.
Bright Star - Read the poem HERE
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/star.html - As Keats' most popular poem, there is a great abundance of resources for Bright Star. This site may be one of the best, providing line by line definitions and explanations of allusions within the poem, and a brief analysis of broad ideas and themes.
Ode on a Grecian Urn - Read the poem HERE
http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/Keats.html - Provides fantastic analysis of structure and form, stanza by stanza summary and analysis and information about narrative and setting.
To Lord Byron - Read the poem HERE
On the Sea - Read the poem HERE
These poems are not widely studied, and as such, there are very few resources available on the internet. However, the study guide, Success in Romanticism by Suzan and Bruce Pattinson - published by Five Senses Education, provides an excellent overview and commentary of the short poems. I highly recommend that you access this text at some point throughout the HSC course.
http://mural.uv.es/ewilcan/keatstoautumn.html - Explains the structure of the poem, provides an interpretation of the poem's meaning and some poetical techniques used by Keats.
La Belle Dame Sans Merci - Read the poem HERE
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/belle_alt.html - An interesting discussion of Keats' use of and reliance upon the imagination within this poem. There is a huge amount of resources on this poem available on the internet, and most likely in your school and local library, that will aid you in your analysis of this poem.
Ode to a Nightingale - Read the poem HERE
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/nighting.html - Provides an in-depth, stanza by stanza analysis of the poem. Although written by academics, it is relatively easy to understand and is a great place to start when studying this poem. Again, this is a very popular poem, and there is a wide variety of resources available for you to access.
Fancy - Read the poem HERE
http://www.helium.com/items/2285482-the-master-hides-his-tool-marks-perhaps-too-well - There are very few resources for this poem on the internet, but make sure you check your local and school library for Romanticism study guides and critical analysis' of Keats' works. This site provides a quick analysis of Fancy, with some great techniques highlighted for use in essays.
Bright Star - Read the poem HERE
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/star.html - As Keats' most popular poem, there is a great abundance of resources for Bright Star. This site may be one of the best, providing line by line definitions and explanations of allusions within the poem, and a brief analysis of broad ideas and themes.
Ode on a Grecian Urn - Read the poem HERE
http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/Keats.html - Provides fantastic analysis of structure and form, stanza by stanza summary and analysis and information about narrative and setting.
To Lord Byron - Read the poem HERE
On the Sea - Read the poem HERE
These poems are not widely studied, and as such, there are very few resources available on the internet. However, the study guide, Success in Romanticism by Suzan and Bruce Pattinson - published by Five Senses Education, provides an excellent overview and commentary of the short poems. I highly recommend that you access this text at some point throughout the HSC course.
Further Reading, Help and Analysis
- Shmoop: - Easy to understand, broad summary of Keats' biography, and his poetry.
- Spark Notes: - Great summary and analysis of some of Keats' odes, and themes, motifs and symbols.
- Cliff Notes: - More summaries and analysis of Keats' poetry.
- John Keats: - A brief overview of Keats' poetry, his themes, odes and use of imagery.
- HSC Online: - Although heavily text driven and uses dense language, this site provides an excellent overview of Keats' poetry and relates it directly to the HSC Extension 1 English syllabus. Provides some techniques and examples, useful as a basis or starting point for essays.