John Keats: A Study of His Work and Writing Advice

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” - John Keats

Even if you are not familiar with John Keats, chances are you have heard this famous line. This quote, from the end of “An Ode on a Grecian Urn,” is one of many famous lines from the romantic poet. Keats was born in London in 1795, and died young at the age of 25 in February 1821 from tuberculosis. His poetry had only been published for the four years before he died, but Keats left behind quite a legacy for having such a small body of work. Today, in honor of his birthday (he was born 228 years ago!), we will take a look at some of Keats’ most influential pieces, who influenced him, and how his work has shaped the modern literary industry.

Keats: A Brief History

John Keats was the oldest of four siblings, and unfortunately, he experienced a lot of loss during his short life. His father died when he was eight (after he fell off his horse) and his mother died when he was fourteen of tuberculosis. Tragically, Keats had to nurse his brother Tom, who was also sick with tuberculosis, but he could not save him, and Keats had to watch another family member die in 1818.

Keats became interested in the classics at school, where he attended John Clarke’s Boarding School (a very progressive school) as a boy. While he was interested in poetry in school and showed skill at the craft, he chose to study to become a doctor at university instead. He was thought of as an excellent student who would go on to make a fantastic doctor, although he confided to his brother that he still yearned to become a poet. He did not revisit poetry as a career until well into his medical education, and in 1816 he finally decided to pursue poetry full time. As he realized his passion was poetry, some thought he was being irrational leaving the life of a doctor behind, as it would have ensured a constant and decent salary as well as guaranteed work, not to mention the amount of money he had already spent on his education. His passion for poetry, however, shines through in his work. The language he uses is evident of someone who was destined to have a career with words. His first published work was a sonnet entitled “O Solitude” which was published in The Examiner magazine on May 5, 1816. From there he continued writing and trying to get future works published, though he was often in debt. His works were sometimes received with mixed reviews during his life; it was only after he died that his body of poetry became more widespread and acclaimed.

Writing Style

As an active poet between the years of 1816 and 1820, Keats was considered to be a second generation Romantic era poet. His poetry explores themes of beauty, mortality, love, passion, and escapism. He was influenced by William Shakespeare, John Milton, and Edmund Spenser to name a few. Many similarities can be found between Keats’ early work and those of the poets he admired. Keats’ words inspire crystal clear imagery, and his work is best enjoyed when read aloud. The personification, metaphors, alliteration and overall lyric of his poetry comes alive when it is spoken. It appears as though Keats wanted to create a deep connection with his readers and audience, as his work is incredibly moving and deep, exploring parts of humanity that were not always the first to be talked about in the 19th century.

“Ode to a Nightingale”

“Ode to a Nightingale” is probably one of the most famous pieces of poetry that Keats wrote. Only 23 years old at the time of writing (and yet only having two years of his life left) he wrote a stunningly beautiful and dark poem that examines themes of death and finding joy in every moment, something that seems all too poignant in hindsight, with him only living until the age of 25. It’s almost as if the young poet knew his time on Earth was limited, and he was determined to make the most of every moment he had. In “Ode to a Nightingale,” the narrator is standing in a dark forest, clouded in shadows. He cannot see anything - not the trees or flowers, but he can hear the nightingale. He notices he can smell the flowers, and he realizes he can actually feel the beauty of the forest around him, even without seeing it. The narrator thinks about all of the people who have wandered in the forest before him, men of all ages, and how both the forest and the people age, forgoing youth for maturity. But for all of the things he notices about the forest, the thing that stands out to this narrator the most is the sound of the nightingale. Although the narrator has heard this sound many times before, this time, as he stands in the dark forest, he really hears it, and it becomes more than just this one bird. Keats envisions the nightingale singing for emperors and kings, and how this song has remained the same for generations. The vivid imagery and repetition are what make this poem so haunting and beautiful. Even if one has not heard a nightingale specifically before, anyone can picture the longing and chilling sound Keats describes. It’s something that Keats truly had a gift for: ensuring that his readership, whether or not they had had a similar experience, could always fully understand and picture what he was describing through his words. Keats invites the reader to step into the forest with him, embrace the shadows, and listen and feel. It is a magnificent piece of work, and one that the reader can connect to Keats on a deeper level. Reading (or listening) to the poem, knowing that Keats only had two more years certainly makes one have a deeper appreciation for his words.

“Ode on a Grecian Urn” and Ekphrasis

“Ekphrasis” is not a word that you might encounter every day. Ekphrasis is, simply put, a description of art. It is often used in creative industries when someone tries to replicate a piece of art. With “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” Keats is describing and visualizing what the images on the urn have done. This is a very interesting tactic used by Keats in this poem. When read aloud, it feels almost as if you are having a conversation with the urn. It’s an especially moving piece of poetry. The first stanza is mostly full of questions (for the urn, presumably) as Keats observes the different images on it. He questions the purpose of the urn, the secrets it holds, and contains another one of Keats very famous lines: “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter.” This line in particular stands out as being incredibly touching. Even though Keats cannot hear the music played from the urn paintings, he can imagine it, and that is sweeter than hearing it. As a romantic poet, Keat was fond of using imagery in his poems, and this is a great example of him using imagination as a tool. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is a particularly powerful example of the use of imagination in a poem. Using the Grecian Urn as ekphrasis as the inspiration for the piece truly shows the reader how one can stare at a piece of art and see so much more than just the artwork itself. This poem shows Keats using his full imagination to create a story from the paintings which decorate the urn. There is a reason that this is one of his more famous works, and it is excellent.

Other Notable Works

While “Ode to a Nightingale” and “Ode on a Grecian Urn” are some of Keats’ most famous works, he has many other pieces of poetry as well as sonnets and letters that are extremely well known. “To Autumn” is another poem that is very well known for its picture-perfect description of autumn. Keats wrote this poem as though the season autumn is in a constant state of motion, and the beautiful images one can picture from reading this poem are reminiscent of the season. This poem is a great example of how Keats’ word choice truly impacts the entire piece. Without his descriptive imagery, the entire poem would come across as flat and ordinary, which would make it feel much different, and it would not be the same. Another famous work of Keats that is still popular today is the sonnet called “On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer.” Written in 1816, this work was inspired by Keats’ reading the works of Homer which had been translated by George Chapman. Chapman, who translated Homer’s work in the 1500s, was a very descriptive playwright. Keats was deeply moved by the work of Homer as translated by Chapman, which is evident in this poem. He writes as though he has truly been in the poem's adventures himself; Homer’s words are so vivid and real that Keats experienced it himself by reading. He is so moved by the piece that he feels as though he was transported to that world. Keats could not have known that his own work would do the same for his readers over the course of centuries. This is why Keats’ poems have stood up to the test of time and why they have remained so popular: his language invokes the same feeling and images today as it would have during his time, as it will in 100 more years. His writing is truly timeless.

Writing Advice

John Keats left behind writing advice, which can be found in the many letters he wrote. One of the most profound writing terms that Keats came up with is called “negative capability” a term which still holds meaning and value in the writing world today. Negative capability is the trust that a reader puts into an author when there is something in the text that is not answered. The term was first coined by Keats in a letter to his brothers, and he explained the term as this: “when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason” and he goes on to write that with great poetry “the sense of beauty overcomes every other consideration, or rather obliterates all consideration.” Negative capability can be seen quite often in fantasy fiction novels, in the extensive world building that it takes in order to create a fantasy world. Although the world may feel fully formed, there may be some aspects of it that do not get a concrete answer. This is where the reader exists with the uncertainty of the unanswered lore. This is one of the most influential of Keats’ writing advice. The fact that negative capability is still talked about and used in modern writing shows how he was ahead of his time. Keats’ writing advice is found in many of the letters he wrote, which can be accessed online.

John Keats’ Legacy

Although John Keats died over 200 years ago, his work is still highly regarded and shared to this day. His poems are thought to be some of the most studied and analyzed of any poet, which is a testament to the dedication and passion he had for the craft. It is sad to think that we could have been treated to many more works of poetry had Keats not passed away so young. Nevertheless, his poetry still inspires people all over the world, something the author surely would have been overjoyed to hear, considering that he expected his poetry to be forgotten and die with him. Instead, he is celebrated and remembered, both through his own poetry and by the pieces that he has inspired. After his death, many of his friends and admirers wrote pieces of poetry and prose about him, such as Percy Shelley’s Adonais: An Elegy on the Death of John Keats and ‘The Tomb of Keats’ by Oscar Wilde, which was one of the first pieces Wilde published. Although he did not live to see it, Keats’ legacy is widespread and has spanned multiple generations. His writing advice still holds value, even in the 21st century. Although it is a shame to think about how much more poetry the world could have received from Keats had he not passed so young, the work that he left behind is both moving and chilling. His work will be remembered forever in the literary industry. In honor of his birthday, if you’ve read Keats and have a favorite poem or letter, comment below! If this is your first introduction to Keats, I’d recommend you check out his works and comment on what you enjoyed about this incredible poet.