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READ THIS
Keats, whose mother and brother had died of TB, was also diagnosed with the disease.
In this sonnet, which is a presentiment of his early death, the poet reflects sadly on all the joys and
opportunities of life he will miss out on -- like writing and romance. However, in the couplet he accepts
this loss.
ABOUT THE POET
John Keats was born in London in 1795, the son of a hostler. Both his parents died while he was still
young -- his mother of tuberculosis. He was thereafter brought up by his grandmother who quickly made
him an apprentice physician.
He was still only in his late teens when he discovered that he too had caught TB and his younger brother,
who was in his care, soon died of it. In order to escape the disease, Keats moved to the sunnier and drier
climate of Italy.
There was no escape for him, however, and the poet died in 1821. He was then just 25 years of age. He
nevertheless bequeathed us a gargantuan amount of poetry written with an amazing maturity for one so
young.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
"Before high-piléd books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripen'd grain."
- What is the function of the emphasis in "piléd"? (2)
[Need help?]
This is an emphasis mark which tells the reader to add an extra syllable to the word. Instead of
pronouncing the word with one syllable as "piled", the word must be pronounced with two syllables:
pil-ed. The reason for this is to add an extra beat to the line to maintain the rhythm.
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- Consider the implications of the grain being described as "full ripen'd"? (5)
[Need help?]
The word "full" has connotations of abundance, of reaching the utmost limit.
The use of "ripen'd" implies that the grain is mature, fully developed and ready to be utilised. The
"grain" represents the poet's words.
Therefore the description conveys the excessive amount of words and ideas which have come to fruition
and which the poet wants to write down before he dies.
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"Huge cloudy symbols of high romance."
- Paraphrase (rewrite in your own words) and explain the significance of this line. (3)
[Need help?]
The "cloudy symbols" refer to the Milky Way, while "high romance" refers to romantic love.
Keats was one of the poets of the 1800s who popularised Romantic poetry, placing an emphasis on
emotion and personal experience.
Romantic poetry is inspired by nature, which represents the purity and idealism of the world.
It is fitting that Keats should use the starry night sky to symbolise romantic love. Romantic love is
something idealised, perfect and magical.
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"And when I feel, fair creature of an hour."
- Identify and account for the use of the figure of speech contained in this line. (4)
[Need help?]
HYPERBOLE is a deliberate exaggeration to heighten the effect or to emphasise a point.
The phrase "of an hour" is hyperbolic. The poet has obviously known this woman for longer than
an hour since she means so much to him. He uses exaggeration since he is so aware of how limited his
time on earth is.
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"Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love."
- The word "relish" is particularly evocative. Discuss the effect of the word in the
sonnet. (4)
[Need help?]
"To relish" means to have a great liking or enjoyment for. It has connotations of deriving great
pleasure or enjoyment. The word expresses how important the woman is to him and what a source of joy
she is to him.
This is substantiated in the words "faery power", meaning magical power. She is the source of
magic to him.
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"Then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone."
- Identify and comment on the two figures of speech in these lines. (4)
[Need help?]
The use of "shore" introduces a METAPHOR. The poet views the world as if he is standing on the
edge, staring out at it. This enables him to see his life and his desires in perspective.
He is humbled by the vastness and he realises that his ambitions are unimportant and insignificant.
There is ALLITERATION in "wide world". It is used to emphasise the extent of the world he sees
before him. It serves to highlight the fact that he is standing alone, confronting the vastness on his own.
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"Till love and fame to nothingness do sink."
- Explain what point Keats is making in this line. (4)
[Need help?]
When the poet views the world in perspective, he realises that romantic love and being a famous writer
become unimportant issues.
He understands there is more to life. He needs to use every moment left to him to experience everything
life has to offer. He becomes aware that he should not be prescriptive, but be prepared to experience
everything that life throws at him.
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- Explain the significance of the word "sink" in the context of the sonnet. (4)
[Need help?]
"To sink" means to disappear below the surface; to lose strength, value or quality; to decline. The
word helps to emphasise the complete insignificance of fame and idealistic love. They are utterly
meaningless when one views life in perspective.
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How would you describe the tone of the poem? Is it one of self-pity? Is it resignation and
acceptance? (4)
[Need help?]
On reading the quatrains, one may at first think that Keats is indulging in self-pity. However, the rhyming
couplet reveals his acceptance of his condition.
In the couplet, he faces his mortality. He views the world in perspective and he realises that fame and
romanticised love are unimportant when confronted by the world and all its implications.
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Identify the type of sonnet and explain how Keats has utilised the structure. (8)
[Need help?]
The sonnet is divided into three quatrains, concluding with a rhyming couplet, which distinguishes it as a
Shakespearian sonnet.
Each quatrain has a theme. The first quatrain deals with his desire to write many books, containing all
the ideas flying around in his head.
In the second quatrain, the poet focuses on being able to describe the romance of the night sky.
The third quatrain speaks of his fear that he will lose out on the magic of romantic love.
The rhyming couplet starts midway in line 12. The change is effectively introduced with " -- then
on the shore . . . " The use of the dash indicates a change, highlighting what is to follow.
The rhyming couplet reflects on and sums up the poet's earlier thoughts. The couplet is a resolution of
his fears. Fame and love are no longer important when one considers the bigger scheme of things.
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