Keats Flashcards
(62 cards)
O Solitude! If I must dwell with thee (1815) - Summary
The speaker intends to escape solitude by embracing nature
O Solitude! If I must dwell with thee (1815) - Themes/images
Solitude
Nature
Value of Companionship
Romanticism
O Solitude! If I must dwell with thee (1815) - Form
Petrarchan Sonnet with the traditional rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA CDDCDC, the ABBA being in the octave
O Solitude! If I must dwell with thee (1815) - Context
1815 shortly after Keat joined the hospital as a trainee surgeon
Keats had just moved to southwark in london which at the time was dirty and overcrowded
On first looking into Chapman’s Homer (1816) - summary
John Keats describes his transformative experience upon reading George Chapman’s translation of Homer’s works, comparing it to astronomical and geographical discoveries, emphasizing the profound impact of this literary encounter
On first looking into Chapman’s Homer (1816) - Themes
Images of riches/wealth and conquest
Images of discovering
Power of literature
Transience
On first looking into Chapman’s Homer (1816) - Form
Petrarchan Sonnet
Octave - The octave has a tight enclosed rhyme
Is an Extended metaphor of exploring Homers landscape and the first time experiencing Homer through chapman
Volta (line 9)
Sestet - looser, more flexible rhyme and reflects the emotional impact that he has discovered through Chapman’s translation
On the Sea (1817) - Themes
Infinite vs temporal
Theme of nature/feminising nature
Allusion to the classical world
The infiniteness of nature
Escape
self-reflection
On the Sea (1817) - Summary
The speaker praises the sea’s power and gentleness, urging weary urbanites to seek its restorative and meditative qualities, finding respite from the noise and pressures of everyday life
On first looking into Chapman’s Homer (1816) - context
Keat came across Chapman’s translation 1816 and he wrote the poem in response claiming it was the most beautiful poetry he had ever read
Revealed Keat’s lower middle class background as elite romantics and poets of the time would have been educated to read Greek and looked down on Keats who relied on others translations
His education is also reflected in his mistake between Cortez and Balboa who discovered the pacific he is unaware of
On the Sea (1817) - Form
Typical Petrarchan Sonnet
Octave - establishes vastness and power of the sea using sensory detail and imagery
Sestet - Shifts to a reflective tone and invites the reader to contemplate the seas impact on the human spirit
Iambic metre creates a melodic rhythm
On the Sea (1817) - Language techniques
Onomatopeia
Synthesia
Assonance
Uses repetition and onomatopoeia in the octave to replicate hissing of the wave across ‘sand and shingle’
On the sea (1917) - Context
Written on the isle of white in spring 1817
Keats consistently writing poetry about escapism
In drear nighted December (1817) - summary
Keats contrast harshness of winter with the emotional suffering human’s experience. How surroundings are unaffected by the cold yet humans continue to feel pain and greif
Nature in bliss while humans have memories
In drear nighted December (1817) - form
Lyrical poem - personal and emotional +
iambic tetrameter which gives a steady rhythm
In drear nighted December (1817) - Themes
Nature vs human
Memory and suffering
Time and change
In drear nighted December (1817) - Language techniques
Personification of the month of December
Sibilance and soft consonants often slow the pace, mirroring sadness and stillness.
Melacholic tone
In drear nighted December (1817) - Context
Written on the longest day of the year but was surrounded by Christmas celebrations
On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again (1819) - summary
The speaker talks about his eager but apprehension to reread King Lear again knowing the suffering he will endure, the emotions of his last read of the play have worn off and he has to reread in an almost ritualistic way. Despite the potential for emotional turmoil, there’s a sense of acceptance and even a longing for this intense experience
On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again (1819) - themes
Anti-romance
Negative capability
Rebirth-reinvention
Transience and the power of imagination
King lear featured themes of justice and injustice, authority and chaos
On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again (1819) - form
Petarchan sonnet with a rhyming couplet at the end
Iambic pentameter
On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again (1819) - language techniques
Uses metaphors and similes to convey the emotions of reading the text and expressing his desires
Subtle assonance and alliteration to create a melodic flow
Personification of subjects such as romance
On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again (1819) - context
Keats wrote jan 1819
King lear was soon to be restaged for Nahum Tate’s version of the play which featured a happier ending and became more popular then what would have been performed on stage
Romantics honoured Shakespeare’s version and publicly criticised the new one, attempts to restage the play failed bc it was to shocking
Negative capability
Keats as a ‘chameleon Poet’ a poet who can adapt their writing style and voice to suit different subjects, audiences, or contexts, much like a chameleon changing color to blend in. It suggests a poet with versatility and a willingness to explore different perspectives
When I have Fears that I may Cease to be (1818) - summary
Centered around keat’s deep fears of dying young without achieving his full potential, doesn’t want to leave by unwritten ideas and fame he won’t. Also expresses fears of not experiencing romance
