English essay:
John Keats, as a romantic poet, was not as frivolous and ‘beauty-obsessed’ as some of his critics, or surface level readings of his early work might suggest. In fact, his philosophical viewpoint was far more complex. His later poems; particularly his odes; reflect a much deeper contemplation of mortality and the contrast between truth and beauty. And although he was often labeled ‘radical' for his untraditional views at the time, he had an impressive cultural and literary understanding of his craft. His appreciation and use of Grecian art reflects this. His use Grecian art is symbolic of a constant unchangeable force in the world of beauty and truth; a force he used to contrast his views on the ever changing nature of a human life.
Keats was part of the romanticism movement. Although the movement was heavily influenced by classicism; particularly Greek art and philosophies.The Romantic movement developed as a reaction to the industrial age. The industrial age was characterized by ‘industry’ it pulled people out of nature and into cities; away from farms and into factories. The industrial revolution therefore served as a direct anthesis to the Romantic poet’s subject matter. (The Industrial Revolution ,2014) Keats was no exception to this. Although, the poet would likely reject the notion; he was a key figure in developing the characteristics of romanticism during his time( as it was a retrospective term coined later by literary and art historians). Important features such as the role of the poet and the interest in imagination. (Doug,2010)’The classical’ was prevalent to the Romantics because it embodied all that the industrial age did not; order and harmony, beauty and simplicity. (Holcombe, 2007) Keats himself was heavily influenced by the Greeks and Romans, however I would not class him as a classical poet. Characteristics of classicism such as restraint and propriety are adjectives that I don’t believe describe his cannon of work accurately. Modern critics state that makes the poetry of Keats the most eminent among all romantic poets is; “the fact that his poetic genius blossomed under the romantic breeze, and matured under the sunshine of classicism” (Copa, 2014)
The classical era was also prevalent in impacting Keats’ political view; he was coined as a ‘radical’; more commonly as criticism, throughout his life. Keats, unlike the first wave of Christian poets, was not particularly inspired by the Christian faith.During the law 18th century Greek mythology experienced a revival. Instead of being produced as Christian allegory, as it previously was, it was presented factually and free of bias. (Dima, n.d) To the degree that certain Latin and Greek text became part of general education in schools. Keats was so inspired that as a schoolboy he decided to translate the whole of Aeneid into English (A Latin poem written by Virigil depicting the story of Trojan; Aeneas, traveling to Italy. (Hebron, 2014) Mythology became so prevalent in the romantic ear; Edward B Hungerford stresses that for Shelley and Keats, as well as other romantics, mythology became a “new language”. (Dima/ n.d) Although Keats shared his love of mythology and he (unlike poets like Wordsworth) was not influenced by the prominent philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg; a Swedish philosopher that promoted the ideology that God was present in every manifestation of beauty. Where, in accordance to that current religious ideology, other poets (such as Wordsworth) worshiped nature; Keats simply admired it’s beauty.(Frances, 1942 ).
Keats apparent aversion to traditional beliefs of his time; was what factored into his ‘radical’ label. His poetry frequently served as an indirect commentary on the political, religious and sexual attitudes that governed his society. His political views, as reflected in Endymion, greatly upset the general public. Blackwood’s Magazine review in August 1818 calling Keats ‘ignorant and unsettled pretender’ as a poet. A vulgarizer of classical mythology. (Barnard/2007) And where Keats’ views on politics might have been radical, the idea of being a vulgarizer of classical mythology is proven wrong; especially in his later his odes, which are more richly layered. Poems such as Ode to a Grecian urn shows a range of weighted themes; such contrasted between the beauty of nature and the mortality and suffering to human life. Themes that could never be contrasted by an escapist.
Stanza one immediately links in the theme of mortality by introducing us to the idea of frozen time. The poet personifies the urn by describing it as a bride, and describes ‘her' as unravish’d ‘Thou Still unravish’d bride of quietness/ Thou foster-child of all silence and slow time”(L.1/2). The word unravish’d implies that the urn has not been touched, while slow time implies that the figures are not affected by real time, rather the urn only gets affected by change of slow time over centuries. Like in ode to a nightingale; the poet wants to create a world of pure joy; however in this poem the ideal world is set in set in the urn. Keats also creates his usual sensuous imagery through relating the vase with Grecian cites; such as Tempe and Arcady.
Stanza two looks at the drawback of frozen time. It opens with an oxymoron “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard/Are sweeter…'(Lines 11/12). Keats talks about a young man that can never leave, and bold lovers that cannot kiss “Bold lover, never, never canst though kiss. Stanza 3 introduces more characters frozen in time. Keats’ personification of the ‘boughs’ that cannot shed is symbolic; the shedding of leaves can be connected to the cycles of nature; how everything (and everybody) everybody gets to the ‘autumn’ of their lives and dies eventually. Although this stanza continuous to create the same imagery of a perfect society; their is a darker underlying irony. The line “All breathing human passion far above” portraying this, as; if this superior passion that is depicted in the urn is also unfulfillable; Keats is implying that that satisfaction is impossible to attain. Keats repetition of the word ‘Happy’ throughout the poem also reflects the contrast between what Keats is describing and what his intention/message is. The word happy strongly contrasts the last three lines of the poems; in which Keats describes the pain of human suffering.
The fourth stanza draws the reader into the urn. It is It reflects imagination in Keats’ work; a creation of a whole different world. Like stanza 3; in which beautiful lovers can never kiss; this is a beautiful town that will always remain empty. “Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,/ Is emptied of this folk’Keats continues to sculpt a perfect world, while drawing negatives of human life – or lack there of into it.
In the final stanza; lies Keats, arguably most famous quote. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty” (Line 49). In this line, the negative underlying tone concludes. Keats, who throughout the whole poem has been contrasting frozen images with dynamic portrayals of life, participation with observation and the changeable human with the unchangeable immortal; now appears to conclude his contracting with acceptance of human world. Such as the line “Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought” (line 44), it indicates that the urn drew him from the real world into an ideal world, where, if there was neither imperfection nor change, there was also no real life or fulfillment. And although Keats still seems to struggle with the concept of mortality “When old age shall this generation waste” he . All you know on earth and all you need to know in regard to beautiful works of art, whether urns or poems about urns, is that they give an inkling of the unchanging happiness to be realized in the hereafter. When Keats says "that is all ye know on earth," he is postulating an existence beyond earth.
"The excellence of every art is its intensity, capable of making all disagreeable evaporate from their being in close relationship with Beauty and Truth.” -John Keats
Keats uses mythology as the beauty end of his truth – beauty equation. The classical myths exist in a bubble, without time without human suffering. They are hellenistic in nature as they represent simplicity and harmony. Keats structure and rhyme also reflect a classicism approach. Each stanza is 10 lines lone; written in Iambic pentameter; with the rhyme pattern reflected in every stanza (ABACDEDCE). This also related to hellenistic principles of order, and structure.
Keats believed that true poetry was written for the future generation; and that it existed independent of the events in history. This is what, I believe, is an important aspect of what solidified his name as one of the great poets. His ideas were universal. The relevance and timelessness of his work will always be exceptionally ironic as produced by a man who believed his name would be ‘writ in water’.
"The excellence of every art is its intensity, capable of making all disagreables evaporate from their being in close relationship with Beauty and Truth."
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