Keats, a key figure in Romantic poetry, coined the term "negative capability" to describe great writers' ability to embrace uncertainty. This concept reflects the Romantic emphasis on imagination and emotion over reason, aligning with the movement's core values.

Keats's letters and poems, especially his famous odes, showcase his poetic philosophy and vivid imagery. His work embodies Romantic ideals, exploring themes of beauty, truth, and the power of imagination, while pushing the boundaries of poetic expression.

Life and Letters of John Keats

Biography and Early Life

• John Keats was an English Romantic poet born in 1795 in London
• Keats's father died when he was 8 and his mother when he was 14, leaving him and his siblings in the care of their grandmother
• Studied as a surgeon-apothecary but decided to pursue poetry instead
• Befriended Leigh Hunt and became associated with the "Young Romantics" including Percy Bysshe Shelley

Correspondence and Insight into Keats's Mind

• Keats wrote many letters to family and friends that provide insight into his thoughts, feelings, and creative process
• In letters to his brothers George and Thomas, Keats discussed his theories of poetry and the imagination
• Corresponded with Fanny Brawne, the love of his life, expressing his deep feelings for her (they were engaged but never married)
• Letters reveal Keats's musings on life, love, art, and human existence

Illness, Death, and Legacy

• In 1819, Keats began exhibiting signs of tuberculosis, the disease that had killed his mother and brother Tom
• Continued writing while his health declined rapidly over the next two years
• Died in Rome in 1821 at the age of 25
• Though his life and career were short, Keats left an indelible mark on English poetry and is considered one of the greatest lyric poets

Negative Capability and Poetic Philosophy

Negative Capability and the Poetic Imagination

• Negative capability is a term coined by Keats to describe the ability of the greatest writers to pursue a vision of artistic beauty even when it leads them into intellectual confusion and uncertainty
• Keats believed that great poetry is characterized by the ability to be in "uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact & reason"
• This idea suggests that the truest poetry comes from a place of open-mindedness, receptivity, and the willingness to embrace the unknown

Beauty, Truth, and the Purpose of Poetry

• Keats famously wrote "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know" in his poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn"
• For Keats, the pursuit of beauty and the expression of emotional truth were the highest aims of poetry
• He rejected the notion that poetry should be didactic or moralistic, instead believing that its purpose was to provide pleasure and stir the imagination

Melancholy and the Poetic Temperament

• Keats often explored themes of melancholy, sorrow, and the ephemeral nature of joy in his poetry
• He saw melancholy not as a negative emotion, but as a necessary part of the human experience that could lead to profound insights and creativity
• In "Ode on Melancholy," Keats suggests that the deepest melancholy is inextricably linked to the heights of joy and beauty

Hellenism and the Influence of Greek Mythology

• Keats was deeply influenced by Greek mythology, art, and literature
• Many of his poems, such as "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and "Ode to Psyche," draw on Greek mythological figures and motifs
• Keats's Hellenism represents a fascination with the sensuous beauty and timeless truths embodied in ancient Greek culture
• He saw the Greek world as a realm of ideal beauty, free from the constraints and ugliness of modern life

Keats's Odes and Imagery

The Great Odes of 1819

• In the spring and summer of 1819, Keats composed a series of remarkable odes that are among his most famous and enduring works
• These include "Ode on a Grecian Urn," "Ode on Melancholy," "Ode to a Nightingale," "Ode on Indolence," and "Ode to Psyche"
• The odes are characterized by their lyrical intensity, vivid imagery, and philosophical meditations on art, beauty, and the human condition
• They showcase Keats's poetic craftsmanship and his ability to evoke a sense of wonder and enchantment

Sensory Imagery and the Poetic Evocation of Experience

• Keats's poetry is renowned for its rich, sensuous imagery that appeals to all five senses
• He uses vivid descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures to create an immersive, almost tactile experience for the reader
• Examples include the "soft incense" and "embalmed darkness" in "Ode to a Nightingale," or the "leaf-fringed legend" on the Grecian urn
• Through this sensory imagery, Keats seeks to capture the intensity and immediacy of lived experience and to transport the reader into the world of the poem

La Belle Dame sans Merci and the Romantic Ballad

• "La Belle Dame sans Merci" is a haunting ballad that tells the story of a knight seduced and then abandoned by a beautiful but merciless fairy woman
• The poem draws on medieval romance and folklore motifs, but also reflects Keats's own anxieties about love, desire, and the destructive power of the imagination
• With its dreamlike atmosphere, vivid natural imagery, and sense of mystery and supernatural menace, "La Belle Dame" is a quintessential Romantic poem
• It showcases Keats's skill at crafting compact, evocative narratives that hint at deeper psychological and symbolic meanings