Title: Poets of the Romantic Age
1Poets of the Romantic Age
2Biographical Information
- Keats was born in London on October 31st 1745.
- He became a freedom writer of sorts and wrote
in hopes of changing the world. - Keats used a number of Greek themes in his
poetry. - He did not believe in using poetry for political
statements. - In 1818, Endymion was published and received
harsh critique.
3- After he died of tuberculosis, Keats friends did
as much damage to him as his enemies. - He found beauty to be the highest value our world
could offer. - For Keats, striving for what can never be
attained was perhaps the true poetic task. - He was profoundly sensitive to the deep
contradictions of life. - His brother died the same year he met the love of
his life which inspired his poetry.
4Ode to a NightingaleSummary
- The speaker begins the poem expressing how
disoriented he feels when listening to a
nightingale sing. He wishes to drink the richest
wine available and fade away into the forest with
the nightingale. He describes how he wants to
wander away from worries and concerns of life,
age, and time. - The poet begins to explain that the
nightingale is immortal because many different
generations of people have heard the song of the
bird. - The poet is brought back to reality when
the bird flies away, he feels abandoned and
disappointed that his imagination cant create
his own reality. He is left confused now knowing
the difference between reality and dreams.
5Ode to a Grecian UrnSummary
- The speaker is talking to an urn.
- He goes from picture to picture questioning what
is going on. - He tells us that everything on the urn is frozen
in time and will last forever. - Beauty is truth, truth beauty
6On First Looking summary
- Keats says in this poem that he knew Homer was a
great poet but was not amazed by it until he read
Chapmans translation.
7When I Have Fears that I May Cease to be summary
- Keats reflects in this poem about death and all
the things that he has not done and will not be
able to do once he dies. It is a very dismal poem.
8Consensus
- We as a group preferred Ode on a Grecian Urn
Because it made a good point and made us think
about art in a way none of us had before. Keats
describes the art on the urn in a way that brings
it to life. The trees are alive and the people
have feelings. It is truly a fine piece of
literature.
9Ode on a Grecian Urn images
The author describes the urn as a historian who
tells a story of ancient time but can never speak.
Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are
sweeter.
He tells of a young pipe player and how his music
is more beautiful than any music he ever head
because its beauty will never fade.
Sylvan historian ,who canst thus express
10Ode to a Nightingale images
Tis not through envy of the happy lot.
A depiction of Keats in the mood of the poem.
11Themes
- Human mortality- Ode to a Nightingale
- The inevitability of death- Ode to a Grecian
Urn - The contemplation of beauty- Ode to a Grecian
Urn