John Keats: One of The Staple Artists of The Romantic Era

The Romantic Era: An Overview

The Romantic era was a movement that consisted of artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual creations that lasted from 1770 until the 1850s in most parts of Europe. This movement included works like “Fur Elise” by Ludwig Van Beethoven and “To Autumn” by John Keats, which remain some of the most iconic pieces of literature to this day. From Beethoven’s music being orchestrated in the largest halls around the world to Keats' poems and ballads being read in classrooms globally, the influence of the Romantic era is undeniable. In this analysis, I will explore the life, literary pieces, and posthumous effects of one of the staple artists of this era, John Keats.

John Keats: One of The Staple Artists of The Romantic Era

John Keats was born on October 31, 1795, in London, England, into a family with two brothers, a sister, and married parents. Keats’s father passed away due to a tragic accident where a horse trampled him, profoundly affecting Keats' early life and shaping his understanding of suffering and loss. Shortly after his father's death, Keats' mother remarried almost immediately, impacting his mental state dramatically. Furthermore, John Keats was essentially passed around from guardian to guardian following his mother's death until a turning point in his life: school, where his passion for reading arose.

John Keats became an apprentice for a surgeon at Edmonton in 1811, a position he left to become a junior house surgeon in 1814 in London, where he ultimately settled. It was here that his literary interests grew, and he decided to pursue his poetic dreams. From a tough youth to the migration from parent to guardian, to finally stabilizing in London, Keats arrived with a wealth of experiences and was ready to write.

Literary Contributions and Romanticism

Literary Romanticism emphasizes inspiration, subjectivity, and the individual, including their feelings, which Keats exemplified in his ballads and poems. For example, his iconic poem “To Autumn,” written shortly before his death, gained popularity posthumously because it immersed people in his feelings as he faced his mortality. Keats wrote this poem after a walk one autumnal evening. The poem reflects his resignation regarding his writing's lack of economic support and his "fruitfulness" efforts in the artistic industry, as expressed in the line, “Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness.” This poem is a staple of the Romantic Era for many reasons, including its composition moments before his death, marking the end of his poetic career, and demonstrating his emotions toward the Romantic movement in England at the time. It shows how his life shaped more than just his writings. Tragically, Keats contracted tuberculosis later that same autumn, which eventually claimed his life at the age of 25 (Greenblatt, 981).

Another of Keats' works that embodies the essence of the Romantic era is “Ode on Melancholy,” a poem exploring how to address depression. The first line, “No, no, go not to Lethe” (Greenblatt, 981), references "Lethe," the Greek spirit of forgetfulness and oblivion, used here to express the importance of remembering one's sadness. Keats urges readers not to forget their sadness, which underscores why he is a great representation of the Romantic Era. He embraces dark and painful emotions, striving to become a stronger human being. The following stanza advises the reader to introduce positive, beautiful things into their lives instead of succumbing to suffering, which will eventually overshadow the negative. This poem continues to discuss alternative ways to cope with depression and shares Keats' personal experiences with sadness.

Most of Keats' Odes exhibit notable differences; for instance, “Ode on Melancholy” is the first ode not written in the first person. Instead, it offers advice to readers facing depression. This poem was crafted from his hard-earned experiences, from the challenges of his early life to his encounters with love, further solidifying Keats as a central figure in the Romantic era.

The Legacy of John Keats

John Keats lived through significant hardships, yet he passed away at just 25. His experiences and emotions, captured on paper, continue to resonate and will never be overlooked. The Romanticism movement was a monumental step forward for writers in England, and Keats played a remarkable role in it. He did not just write some of the most iconic pieces of literature; he blazed a trail that continues to inspire writers today. Keats embodied the Romantic era through his unwavering dedication to his craft until his last breaths, never hiding any aspect of what made him the man he became. Keats contributed to the Romantic movement with a collection of short letters and poems that were all thoughtful and impassioned. In conclusion, John Keats did much more than contribute to the movement; he revolutionized and represented the true essence of what Romanticism was about.

References

• Greenblatt, S. (Ed.). (2006). The Norton Anthology of English Literature (8th ed., Vol. 2). W.W. Norton & Company.