John Keats: The Next Shakespeare

John Keats can easily be ranked as the top British poet to ever live; or at least in the top five ranking mark. His usage of his poems structures has become famous, just as his poems have become famous. Due to the young death of this famous poet, his literary work was cut short. Ever since he knew he was going to die, when he discovered he had contracted tuberculosis, he had thought that he would never be remembered; so much so that according to the web-site “Poets Graves” which states the inscription on his tombstone read, “Here lies One Whose Name was writ in Water,” meaning that Keats was certain that he would never be remembered. However, contrary to his belief, Keats is still remembered today, so much so that his poetry is put into our text books. Throughout Keats’s poems in our literature book, there are several ways he writes his poems. John Keats uses the forms of imagery, personification, figures of speech, and sound structure in his poetry.

First of all Keats uses the structure of imagery in his poetry, but much more so in the poem, “When I have fears that I may Cease to Be.” A prime example of the usage of imagery by Keats in this poem is when Keats states, “Before high-piled books in character, hold like rich garners the full ripened grain.” (Keats, When I Have Fears that I may Cease to Be, page 885, lines 3-4) In saying these lines he uses the image of the high piled books that he will never get to read or write because of his death to come. He also compares his brain to a garner, holding “full ripened gain” as comparing the amazing thoughts in his head. The web site, “Cliff Notes” says, “When I Have Fears" is a very personal confession of an emotion that intruded itself into the fabric of Keats' existence from at l...

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...ese structures in his poetry have put him in the top five British poets in history. Even though his life was cut short, the poem he did write has found their way into our literature books.

Works Cited

• Cameron Slef. (2014). John Keats. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from Poet's Grave: http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/keats.htm

• Cowper, M. (2010). History Book. New York City: National Geographic.

• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (2013). Keats's Poems. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from Cliff Notes: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/k/keats-poems/summary-and-analysis/when-i-have-fears

• Shmoop University, Inc. (2014). Ode on a Grecian urn. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from Shmoop: http://www.shmoop.com/ode-grecian-urn/urn-symbol.html

• Spark Notes. (2014). Keats' Odes. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from Spark Notes: http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/keats/section3.rhtml