John Keats (1795-1821) was a prominent English Romantic poet whose works are celebrated for their vivid imagery and expressive style. Despite his brief life, he left a lasting legacy with poems like “Ode to a Nightingale” and “To Autumn,” profoundly influencing English literature.
Biography
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | John Keats |
| Birth Date | 31 October 1795 |
| Death Date | 23 February 1821 |
| Age at Death | 25 years |
| Nationality | English |
| Literary Movement | Romanticism |
| Notable Works |
|
| Influence | Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood |
| Style | “Heavily loaded with sensualities”, extreme emotion through natural imagery |
| Posthumous Fame | Grew rapidly after his death; Encyclopædia Britannica of 1888 called one of his odes “one of the final masterpieces” |
| Legacy | His poems and letters remain among the most popular and analyzed in English literature |
| Notable Admirers | Jorge Luis Borges |
Early Life
John Keats was born on October 31, 1795, in Moorgate, London, England. He was the eldest of five children born to Thomas and Frances Jennings Keats. His early years were marked by both joy and tragedy; he was raised in a loving family but faced the untimely death of his father in 1804, followed by his mother’s death in 1810. These events had a profound impact on him, shaping his outlook on life and death. After his mother’s passing, Keats and his siblings were sent to live with their grandmother in Edmonton, where they were placed under the guardianship of Richard Abbey. Despite these challenges, Keats received a good education at Enfield Academy, where he developed a passion for literature and poetry that would define his short but illustrious career. The family later moved to a smaller house in Edmonton, where Keats continued his studies and eventually began his apprenticeship in medicine.
Family
| Relation | Name | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Father | Thomas Keats | Thomas Keats was a stable keeper who died in a riding accident when John was just 8 years old. |
| Mother | Frances Jennings Keats | Frances Jennings Keats suffered from tuberculosis and died when John was 14 years old. |
| Brother | George Keats | George Keats emigrated to America and struggled financially, though he was close to John. |
| Brother | Thomas Keats | Thomas Keats, like their mother, died from tuberculosis, deeply affecting John. |
| Sister | Frances Mary “Fanny” Keats | Fanny Keats was the youngest sibling and was very close to John, who took great care of her. |
Height, Weight, And Other Body Measurements
| Attribute | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 feet 1 inch (155 cm) |
| Weight | Unknown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Body Type | Slender |
Wife/husband / Girlfriend/boyfriend
John Keats is currently not in any relationship as he passed away on February 23, 1821.
John Keats, the renowned English Romantic poet, had a few significant relationships during his short life. The most notable of these was with Fanny Brawne.
Details Of Notable Relationships
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Fanny Brawne | Fanny Brawne was the great love of John Keats’ life. They met in 1818 and became romantically involved. Their relationship was passionate but fraught with difficulties, particularly due to Keats’ deteriorating health and financial struggles. Despite these challenges, their love for each other remained strong until Keats’ death in 1821. |
While there is no evidence of John Keats having been married, his relationship with Fanny Brawne is well-documented through his letters and poems, which reveal the depth of his affection for her.
Other Relationships
There are no well-documented records of John Keats having any other significant romantic relationships besides Fanny Brawne. His life was primarily focused on his poetry and his struggles with health and financial issues.
Career, Achievements And Controversies
John Keats (1795-1821) was an English Romantic poet who became one of the most beloved and influential figures in English literature. Despite his short life and limited output, his work has had a lasting impact on poetry and the arts.
How He Became Famous
Keats became famous posthumously. During his lifetime, he received little recognition and was often criticized by contemporary reviewers. However, after his death, his work gained widespread appreciation and he became recognized as one of the greatest poets of the English language.
How His Career Started
Keats’s career as a poet started in earnest in 1816 when he published his first poem, “O Solitude,” in The Examiner. He soon formed important literary connections, including friendships with Leigh Hunt, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and other key figures of the Romantic movement.
Popular Works
- Endymion (1818) – An ambitious narrative poem that was initially met with mixed reviews.
- Ode to a Nightingale (1819) – One of his most famous odes, exploring themes of nature, transience, and the human condition.
- Ode on a Grecian Urn (1819) – Another celebrated ode, known for the famous concluding lines: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.”
- To Autumn (1819) – A richly descriptive ode that captures the essence of the autumn season.
- La Belle Dame sans Merci (1819) – A ballad that tells a haunting story of a knight and a mysterious lady.
Awards
John Keats did not receive any major awards during his lifetime. His recognition and acclaim came only after his death. Today, his work is celebrated and studied worldwide, and his influence on literature is profound and enduring.
Keats faced several controversies during his life, primarily related to his work and social standing:
- Critical Reception: Keats’s early work, particularly Endymion, was harshly criticized by reviewers. Critics from publications like Blackwood’s Magazine and the Quarterly Review dismissed his poetry and attacked him personally, calling him part of the “Cockney School” of poetry.
- Class Prejudice: Keats’s lower-middle-class background and his profession as a surgeon-apothecary were often used against him by critics who believed that poetry should be the domain of the educated and elite.
- Health and Death: Keats’s health deteriorated rapidly due to tuberculosis, and he died at the young age of 25. Some contemporaries and later biographers speculated that the harsh criticism he faced may have exacerbated his illness.
Faq
John Keats (1795-1821) was an English Romantic poet. Despite his short life, he is one of the most beloved and influential poets of the Romantic era. His works are characterized by their vivid imagery, sensuous appeal, and philosophical depth.
Some of John Keats’ most famous works include:
- “Ode to a Nightingale”
- “Ode on a Grecian Urn”
- “To Autumn”
- “La Belle Dame sans Merci”
- “Bright Star”
Common themes in Keats’ poetry include the fleeting nature of beauty, the permanence of art, the pain of love and loss, and the contemplation of mortality. His work often reflects a deep appreciation for the natural world and an exploration of the human condition.
John Keats’ life was marked by personal tragedy and illness, which greatly influenced his poetry. He lost both his parents at a young age and suffered from poor health, ultimately dying of tuberculosis at the age of 25. These experiences of loss and suffering are reflected in the emotional depth and introspective nature of his work.
The “Ode” form is significant in Keats’ work as it allowed him to explore complex emotions and ideas in a structured yet expressive format. His odes are known for their lyrical beauty, rich imagery, and philosophical musings. They are considered some of the finest examples of this poetic form in English literature.
John Keats’ poetry can be found in various anthologies and online resources. Many of his works are available for free on websites dedicated to classic literature, such as Project Gutenberg, Poetry Foundation, and Bartleby. Additionally, numerous published collections of his complete works are available for purchase.
