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Biographical

Death was a predominate theme throughout John Keats’ life. His father died when he was only eight, his mother when he was fifteen. He spent many months trying to save his brother from tuberculosis, however his brother succumbed to the disease in 1818, the year this poem was written. 1818 was also the year Keats met and fell in love with Fanny Brawne. This coupling of death and newfound love strongly influenced this poem. Keats was at a crossroads in his life where he had just witnessed the death of his dearest brother but also carried the hopes of new love. These two forces are seen in the poem as Keats struggles with the fear of not being to live a full life and experience all that he wishes before his death. Keats lost so many family members in his life that he always felt foreboding sense of death. As he had seen the lives of his family fade away after their death, he witnessed the fact that little was left after death. This is seen in that fact that he believes love and fame will sink to nothingness after death. He realizes that little will exist after death and that what he leaves behind will not last. His satisfaction must come from experiencing life, not from knowing that he has left behind. This is why he fears dying before he is able to record all that is in his mind and fulfill the task of a poet.

Cultural

John Keats was part of the Romantic Movement in art. Romantic writers elevated sentiments of affection, sorrow, and romantic longing. These are very predominant in this poem as Keats speaks of his longing for understanding, for a woman and for living a full existence. The Romantic artist’s task was to use the imagination to gain a deeper understanding of nature. This is seen in Keats’ desire to gather together all the thoughts of his mind into language. Keats also believes that the task of an artist comes from inspiration in nature, not the logical or rational mind. He speaks of tracing the shadows of nature by the magic hand of chance. This implies that inspiration comes not from the logical but from sentiment or chance. He also desires to feel the love of woman. He wants to experience passion and heightened emotions, in which believes he will find fullness. Individualism was also a dominant theme in Romanticism. Keats fears dying before he can write all that is within him. His poetry is what will distinguish him and create his individualism. The prevailing theme of fame is seen in the last line as he fears that if he cannot live longer and experience life, his fame, or individualism will sink into nothingness.