 Assignment

o John Keats as a Romantic Poet

 Name
o M. Naeem Ullah
 Class
o BS ENGLISH ( Evening)
 Roll No.
o 1552
 Submit To.
o Prof. Sohail Anwar
 Govt. Municipal Degree College Faisalabad.

 John Keats as Romantic Poet | Characteristics of

Romantic Poetry:
 John Keats does not write on social issues. In fact, he does not touch them and
keeps himself away from them. He is of the view that it is not necessary to
explain what is happening in the world so far as real purpose of poetry is
concerned. John Keats is last but the best romantic poet in English Literature. It
is because he is not a social poet. Social poetry deals with social and political
problems of the society. Many great poets demonstrate social problems in their
poems. They explicate follies in people and also satirize the society by using
cynical words. Some poets talk about politics, whereas others comment on
people’ behavior but John Keats has no nexus with politics nor does he lay a
hand on norms of the civilization.
 Every romantic poet has his own writing style. Romantic poetry has many
factors. It is on the poet which ingredient he prefers the most. Some poets
prefer nature, some favor escapism and others believe in supernatural elements.
Keats is also not different from commons poets in this regard. He also talks
about these fundamentals of romantic poetry.
 Some common factors of romantic poetry are:
 Pure Poetry
 Escapism
 Quest for beauty
 Love of past
 Quest for nature
 Supernatural elements
 These common yet important elements of romantic poetry can be found in the
poetry of John Keats.

 John Keats is a Pure Romantic Poet:

 Every poem of John Keats deals with problems of his own. His poetry is
objective. It is neither for the sake of criticism nor to apprise the people of any
society. He gives neither any message nor does advise to his readers. His poetry
lacks morality. His words are not sarcastic. He does poetry for the sake of
poetry only. John Keats, hence, is considered as the purest poet in the history of
English Literature.
 What does pure poetry mean? Isn’t it the duty of a poet to deal with social
problems and to tell people that they are committing blunders? A single answer
to these questions is that the primary purpose of poetry is not to raise voice
against problems of society. There may be poets who consider them duty bound
to talk about wrong-doings of society yet it is not what poetry is done for; the
poetry, which gives pleasure to the senses is considered best and therefore can
be called purest poetry.
 Pure poetry is vital element of romantic poetry. John Keats’ purpose to do
poetry only for poetry is one of the major factors which makes him a romantic
poet.

 Escapism Makes John Keats A Romantic Poet:

 He has been bestowed with wonderful power of imagination. John Keats is the
most romantic poet, therefore, he is the most escapist of them all. When he
 remains fail to face harsh realities of life, he finds pleasure in his imagination,
where he creates world of his own. He enjoys company of birds, flowers,
landscapes, mountains and rivers in his imagination. For example in “Ode to
Nightingale”, he creates his imaginative world where he enjoys sweet eternal
song of nightingale which provides peace to his mind and harmony to his soul.
 Far far away, and quite forget
What thou amongst the leaves hast never known,
The wariness, the fever, and the fret,
There, where men sit and hear each other groan;
Where palsy shakes a few, sad last grey hairs,
Where youth grows pale and specter-thin an dies,
Where but to think if to be full of sorrows,
And leaden-eyed despairs.”

 In his eyes, the world is cruel and the only option we have is escapism.
Through his poetry, he wants to prove that pains of life cannot be competed,
therefore, escapism is the only choice. The world is barren and colourless,
whereas imagination is full of colours. In imagination he forgets worries of life
and can do anything that he wants; even such things which are impossible in
real life. Escapism is the most important ingredient of romantic poetry. It is
available in the poetry of John Keats and makes him the best romantic poet.

 Keats Quests for Beauty:

 Beauty is religion of John Keats. He can find it in birds, in clouds, in art, in
forests, in flowers even in Greek mythology. He is a passionate lover of beauty.
His poetry directly hits the senses of his readers. According to him, beauty is
everlasting and it always affects all five senses. Even in worries, pains,
sufferings and disappointments, he enriches his poetry with sensuous beauty.
“Hyperion” for instance, is sad and depressed poem yet Keats cannot stop
himself mentioning beauty when he says “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”.
 Keats’ imagination increases the importance of beauty and in his imagination
he goes beyond the senses. He talks about those things, which he has never
experienced in his life. In one of his poem, he writes: “Heard melodies are
 sweet, but those unheard are sweeter”. Further, he declares beauty a truth when
he writes: “Beauty is truth and truth beauty, –that is all Ye know on earth, and
all ye need to know.” Thus, undoubtedly he is a great lover of beauty and avails
every opportunity to praise it. Quests for beauty also helps John Keats to stand
apart from his rival romantic poet.

 Keats Loves Greek and Medieval Literature:

 Love for past is also another important element of his poetry. Ancient Greeks
and their myths are matter of interest for him. His love for Greeks is highly
appreciated by many other poets of his era. In many of his poems, he talks
about Greeks’ spirits and culture. Viewing the love of John Keats for
Greeks, Shelly said: “Keats was a Greek”. He reads Greek classics due to
which his interest in their culture increases. Besides, he also loves their art.
 “Ode to Grecian Urn” is a naked example of his love for Greeks. He compares
art with mortality in this ode. He calls art immortal and humans mortals. Art, he
says, will remain forever, whereas humans will fade and pale one day. A Greek
artist has sculptured some images on the urn and Keats has something to say
about it. He felt in it the calm “grandeur” of Greek art, its symmetry and
simplicity and lastly sense of proportion, its subordination of parts to the whole.
He is lunatic for beauty and beauty is soul of his poetry.
 Thus, in his imagination, he remembers people of Greeks who are introduced to
him through Greek literature. Keats’ Hellenism is notable in this regard. Not
only Greeks but also people of medieval period are matter of interest for him.
Some of his poems are on medieval period. So, John Keats’ love for past also
increases the strength of his romantic poetry and makes him a perfect romantic
poet.
 Keats Loves Nature:
 Keats also loves nature and elements related to it. He converts natural objects
into beauty. An ordinary thing becomes extraordinary when it passes from the
eyes of John Keats. He has an unbelievable power to create words from natural
elements. However, he does not exaggerate them as S.T. Coleridge does.
 John Keats’s poetry is an example for upcoming romantic writers. He ignored
classicism and preferred romanticism. In that time, when other poets were
talking about French revolution and social issues, Keats bounded himself to
write poetry for the sake of pleasure. In short, John Keats’ love for past, quest
for beauty, escapism and imaginative realism are fine examples that he is first
in the list of romantic poets.