JOHN KEATS

JOHN KEATS:

            Keats was the last born of romantic and first to die within a very brief span of his poetic career. Keats reached the summit of renown. Keats is considered to be a poet's poet. Tenny son and browning were influenced by Keats. Keats is loved and admired as a great sensuous poet. His victorious and pictureque qualities have been imitated by the victorian and the modern poets. It is his variety of style and honesty of impression that earned for his poetic greatness. Keats's reputation has been steadily growing in 20th century. Romantic poets have been severally criticized but critics dropped their pen while criticizing Keats. Keats's poetic genius and his ceaseless search for truth won the admiration of all the critics. Keats like Spenser is callaed poet's poet.

           Keats composed epics, lyrics, sonnets, narrative tales and odes. His six great odes are enough to establish his poetic greatness. Keats has poetic passion and he became a martyr for poetry. Keats's letters are of great importance. In one of his letters Keats write "oh for a life of sensations rather than thoughts". The Unfinished Hyperian, Keats exhibits his love for sensation and beauty and he says: "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever". 

            Keats's mind and poetic style progressed simultaneously. Keats craftmanship is seen in his poems. Keats' love for hellenism and his fascinating on for medieval charms are perceptible in almost all his poems. The Greek elements in Keats consist in his passion for beauty, Keats doesnot philosopize as Wordsworth does. He loves nature for his own sake.

            Keats was a great poet and his greatness lies in his unending efforts to get a perfection in art. He was a supporter of the theory of art for art's sake. Keats's "Ode to a Nightingle","Ode to a Grician Urn" and To Autmn are his best poetic works. His tales and lyrics abound his sensuous beauty. He says in Ode to a Grician Urn "Beauty is truth and truth is beauty".