John-Keats

JohnKeats(1795-1821)KeatswasnotonlythelastbutalsothemostperfectoftheRomanticists.WhileScottwasmerelytellingstories,andWordsworthreformingpoetryorupholdingthemorallaw,andShelleyadvocatingimpossiblereforms,andByronvoicinghisownegoismandthepoliticaldiscontentofthetimes,Keatslivedapartfrommenandfromallpoliticalmeasures,worshipingbeautylikeadevotee,perfectlycontenttowritewhatwasinhisownheart,ortoreflectsomesplendorofthenaturalworldashesawordreamedittobe.Partlybecauseofthishighidealofpoetry,partlybecausehestudiedandunconsciouslyimitatedtheGreekclassicsandthebestworksoftheElizabethans,Keats’slastlittlevolumeofpoetryisunequaledbytheworkofanyofhiscontemporaries.Whenwerememberthatallhisworkwaspublishedinthreeshortyears,from1817to1820,andthathediedwhenonlytwenty-fiveyearsold,wemustjudgehimtobethemostpromisingfigureoftheearlynineteenthcentury,andoneofthemostremarkableinthehistoryofliterature.TheworkofKeats:Forneverwathereapoetmoredevotedtohisideal,entirelyindependentofsuccessorfailure.Keatslivedforpoetryalone,and,asLowellpointedout,avirtuewentoutofhimintoeverythinghewrote.Inallhisworkwehavetheimpressionofthisintenseloyaltytohisart;wehavetheimpressionalsoofaprofounddissatisfactionthatthedeedfallssofarshortofthesplendiddream.Endymion,whichisthestoryofayoungshepherdbelovedbyamoongoddness.Thepoembeginswiththestrikinglines:Athingofbeautyisajoyforever;Itslovelinessincreases;itwillneverPassintonothingness;butstillwillkeepAbowerquietforus;andasleepFullofsweetdreams,andhealth,andquietbreathing,WhichwellillustratethespiritofKeats’slaterwork,withitsperfectfinishandmelody.Keats’sthirdandlastvolume,Lamia,Isabella,TheEveofSt.Agnes,andOtherPoemshasonlytwosubjects,Greekmythologyandmediavalromance.Throughoutthislastvolume,andespeciallyin“Hyperion,”theinfluenceofMiltonisapparent,whileSpenserismorefrequentlysuggestedinreadingEndymion.Amonghisexquisiteshorterpoemswementiononlythe4odes,“OnaGrecianUrn,”“ToaNightingale,”“ToAutumn,”and“ToPsyche.”Othersare“OnFirstLookingintoChapman’sHomer,”“OntheGrasshopperandCricket,”“OdeonMelancholy”…Thosewhostudyonlythe“OdetoaNightingale”mayfindfourthings:aloveofsensuousbeauty,atouchofpessimism,apurelypaganconceptionofnature,andastrongindividualism.Keats’sPlaceinLiterature:Heisoftenaccusedofbeingindifferenttohumanity.Hisworkisalsocriticizedasbeingtooeffeminateforordinaryreaders.Threethingsshouldberememberedinthisconnection:1st,Keatssoughttoexpressbeautyforitsownsake;beautyisasessentialtonormalhumanityasisgovernmentorlaw;andthehighermanclimbsincivilizationthemoreimperativebecomeshisneedofbeautyasarewardforhislabors.2nd,Keats’slettersareasmuchanindicationofthemanasishispoetry;andinhisletters,withtheirhumansympathy,theireagerinterestinsocialproblems,theirhumor,andtheirkeeninsightintolife,thereisnotraceofeffeminacy,butrathereveryindicationofastrongandnoblemanhood.3rd,Keats’sworkwasdonein3or4years,withsmallpreparation,andthat,dyingattwenty-five,heleftusabodyofpoetrywhichwillalwaysbeoneofourmostcherishedpossessions.Hebelongedtothecockneyschoolofpoetry,ofwhichLeighHuntwaschief,andProctorandBeddoeswerefellowworkmen.（agroupofdemocratic-mindedmenoflettersinLondonheadedbyHunt）Heseemstohavestudiedwordsmorecarefullythandidhiscontemporaries,andsohispoeticexpression,ortheharmonyofwordandthought,isgenerallymoreperfectthantheirs.Morethananyotherhelivedforpoetry,asthenoblestofthearts.Morethananyotherheemphasizedbeauty,becausetohim,beautyandtruthwereoneandinseparable.Heenrichedthewholeromanticmovementbyaddingtoitsinterestincommonlifethespirit,ratherthantheletter,oftheclassicsandofElizabethanpoetry.ForthesereasonsKeatsis,likeSpenser,apoet’spoet;hisworkprofoundlyinfluencedTennysonand,indeed,mostofthepoetsofthepresentera.Thestoryof“Isabella,orthePotofBasil”istakenfromBoccacciso”s“Decameron”.Isabella,ayounggirlofarichfamily,isinlovewithapoorservantLorenzo.Her2brothers,havingdiscoveredtheloveaffair,decoyhimaway,murderhimandburyhisbodyinaforest.Isabella,besideherselfwithgrief,findsthebodyofherbeloved,buriestheheadinaflower-pot,setsaplantofbasiloveritandbringsithome.Thereforeshespendshertimewatchingtheflowergrowinthepot.Herwickedbrothersstealthepotanddiscoveredthehead.Isabella,deprivedofherlasconsolation,diesofabrokenheart.(hissympathyfrotheoppressedandindignationatthecrueltyoftherich)HyperiondescribesthestrugglebetweentheoldTitansandthenewgenerattionofgods---theOlympians.TheyoungandpowerfulOlympianseventuallyoverthrewtheTitans.Butthingsdonotstophere.ThepoetpredictedanultimatefalloftheOlympiansaswell.Thepassingoftheoldandthecomingofthenewistheeternallawofnature.