Product Description

This book includes an introduction by director Jane Campion. John Keats died in penury and relative obscurity in 1821, aged only 26. He is now seen as one of the greatest English poets and a genius of the Romantic age. This collection, which contains all his most memorable works and a selection of his letters, is a feast for the senses, displaying Keats' gift for gorgeous imagery and sensuous language, his passionate devotion to beauty, as well as some of the most moving love poetry ever written.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2427 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 526 pages

Review
Sublime Sunday Times His letters are certainly the most notable and most important ever written by any English poet Astounding, contemporary-seeming brilliance and deep wisdom about writers and writing In what we call natural magic, he ranks with Shakespeare...no-one else in English poetry has...his perception of loveliness One of the half-dozen greatest English writers Littered with sensuous descriptions of nature's beauty, Keats's odes also pose profound philosophical questions Sunday Telegraph

About the Author
John Keats was born in London in 1795. He trained as a surgeon and apothecary but quickly abandoned this profession for poetry. His first volume of poetry was published in 1817, soon after he had begun an influential friendship with the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. His first collection and the subsequent long poem Endymion recieved mixed reviews, and sales were poor. In late 1818 he moved to Hampstead where he met and fell deeply in love with his neighbour Fanny Brawne. During the following year Keats wrote some of his most famous works, including 'The Eve of St. Agnes', 'Ode to a Nightingale' and 'La Belle Dame sans Merci'. He was however increasingly plagued by ill-health and financial troubles, which led him to break off his engagement to Fanny. Soon after the publication of Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St Agnes and Other Poems in 1820, Keats left England for Italy in the hope that the climate would improve his health. But Keats was by this time suffering from advanced tuberculosis, and he died on February 23rd 1821. On his request, Keats' tombstone reads only 'Here lies one whose name was writ in water'.

Customer Reviews

Beauty is truth, truth beauty
It's been a few years since I studied Keats at A-Level and I'm still no closer to understanding the significance of that line. And I'm pretty sure I never will. Poetry is not a Su Doku puzzle that requires decoding, it is the expression of self and ideas on life. All a reader needs to do is to let themselves be taken in by the words and to feel, if not understand, their meaning. For me John Keats is the master of his art and this book goes some way to presenting a definitive account of both his work and his tragic life.

At his own request Keats' gravestone reads: 'Here lies one whose name was writ in water.' He died before he could truly enjoy his success, and never got to see the way in which he affected the Romantic movement, or how you now are sat reading this review, considering purchasing his life's work (Or maybe just laughing at my spelling errors). I imagine the man himself would be very pleased indeed.

Keats' two published works are present in the text and feature some very long narrative poems. 'Endymion' is epic in size and principally concerned with Greek Mythology. 'Isabella,' 'Eve of St Anges' and 'Lamia' are also focused on narrative. They are all beautifully lyrical and 'Eve of St Agnes' in particular contains some wonderful sensory imagery:

Of all its wreathed pearls her hair she frees;
Unclasps her warmed jewels one by one;
Loosens her fragrant boddice; by degrees
Her rich attire creeps rustling to her knees:

Never has a girl getting her kit off been descibed so beautifully.

But for me Keats is at his best when he writes of simple things. His fear of death, his passionate love for Fanny (Brawne) and his lifelong pursuit of fame. This collection contains so many wonderful posthumous poems too; my favourite being 'When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be'. In this typically sad poem Keats confronts his own mortality, and dispels all notions of love and fame. It's truly beautiful stuff and should be read by anyone who has had to confront such emotional turmoil. His various Odes are also strong in this regard, marking a move from greek mythology to inner fears and personal trauma.

This collection also contains selected letters by Keats. Though sadly not many to his Fanny. Which is a real shame because the film that this collection is tied into, Bright Star, contained multiple examples of Keats' obsession and his tendancy to put pen to paper. Either way it's an interesting addition if you are wanting to know more about the man behind the poetry then it is useful insight.