Exploring Keats’ Presentation of the Titans in Book I of ‘Hyperion’

Exploring Keats’ Presentation of the Titans in Book I of ‘Hyperion’

Keats' describes the fall from power of the Titans in Greek mythology

after being over thrown by their offspring, the Olympians, in his poem

‘Hyperion’ and he focuses on three of the most significant Titans:

Saturn, Hyperion and Thea. The myths and stories about both the

Titans and the Olympians are from ancient Greece and it was believed

that the gods and the fates controlled everything. Keats’ poem

however does not simply retell the events of the myth, but he also

uses it as a parable for change being essential, even if we are upset

by the loss of the old regime. Scholars believe that this is Keats’

version of ‘Paradise Lost’. In Book I of ‘Hyperion’, Keats’

frequently attempts to make the idea of the existence and the size of

the Titans more authentic for the reader through his use of time,

imagery of light and dark, appeals to the senses, and structure.

A device used by Keats’ in ‘Hyperion’ is his great use of time. He

uses it to illustrate the immensity of the Titans and their powers

which is crucial to being able to recognise them as deities. The

first time we come across this device is whilst Keats’ is describing

Saturn as being ‘Still as the silence’, where the sibilance used here

really emphasises the moment frozen inaction. Another use of time is

during Keats’ description of Thea’s face being as ‘large as that of

Memphian sphinx’, linking to Ancient Egyptian history and giving this

section a sense of timelessness. Thea describes the Olympian’s

overthrow to be an ‘aching time’ and ‘moments big as years’,

suggesting that time will pass so slowly as the Titans are made to

suffer forever. Again, this feeling of stillness is accentuated by

the tableau Keats creates at the end of the verse, where Thea cries

‘sleep on! while at thy feet I weep’, giving the image of a tired, old

Saturn with the beautiful goddess just mourning the loss of their