When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be" Outline

by John Keats

Christine Shaw

October 8, 2008

 

biography

outline

literary terms

links

works cited

literary criticism

activities

poetry presentation web

poem text

 

I. Read Poem Aloud

A. Notice Sounds

B. Listen for the iambic pentameter (heartbeat)

C. Notice sonnet structure (speaks to the influence of Shakespeare)

II. Keats’ Life and Effect on the Poem

A. Death was prominent from early boyhood into later years

B. Note the poem is written in 1818, the year of brother Tom’s death and meeting Fanny (mix of loss with new love)

III. Discussion of Themes

A. Conflicting Themes

1. joy vs. sadness

2. sensations vs. what actually endures

3. fear vs. reason

B. Time

IV. Literary Devices

A. Notice how the themes and paradoxes appear in the language

1. time is seen in - “when,” “when,” “when,” “then”

B. Feeling of romanticism in language

V. Activities and Links