2. Early Life
John Keats was born in London England on October
31,1795.
He was the eldest of Thomas and Frances Jennings
Keats's four children.
He was born in his grandmother’s stable.
3. Childhood
At the age of eight, Keats began attending Enfield
Academy in England.
He was described as ―a youth who made friends
easily and fought passionately for their defense.‖
At school Keats befriended the 15 year old son of
the headmaster.
They would later become his family after the passing
of his parents.
4. Childhood
On April 15th, 1804 Keat’s father died after falling off
his horse.
Keats mother then would later die in 1809 due to
tuberculosis.
Left as the oldest person in his house, Keats
became the leader of the home.
After these events, he looked to his headmaster as a
father figure whenever he needed guidance.
5. Teenage Years
These two events are said to be what led Keats to
become a poet.
He began reading more and writing more due to the
advice of his headmaster.
Despite this around the age of 17-18 he became a doctor
but still kept a veracious passion for reading and writing.
Keats did not really realize his gift of writing until the age
of eighteen in which he read Faerie Queen by Edmund
Spencer. He then became enthralled by poetry and was
inspired to start writing.
6. Adulthood
Keats would later drop his job as a surgeon and become
a poet. He wrote mainly romantic poems.
His poetry was inspired by Leigh Hunts’ style.
In his poetry career, Keats wrote poems but did not make
a great deal of money. This lead to issues in his love life
since he was barely able to provide for himself.
7. Career
His career never really took off in poetry.
It is only now that he is recognized for being a great
poet.
In 1819 he gave up on poetry.
Some of his best known poems are:
"I cry your mercy-pity-love! -aye, love!‖; "The day is
gone, and all its sweets are gone!‖; "This living
hand, now warm and capable‖; and ―Bright Star‖
8. Death
Keats left for Rome in November 1820, after living in
England for most of his life, accompanied by Joseph
Severn, a young painter who was also Keats best friend.
Alone in a new country, he nursed Keats and managed
his affairs daily until his death.
On the night of February, 23 1821, Keats
died, peacefully, in Severn’s arms. His last words were to
comfort Severn: ―Severn—lift me up—I am dying—I shall
die easy—don’t be frightened—be firm, and thank God it
has come!‖
9. When I Have Fears that I May
Cease To Be
When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love;--then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O_lFmTkj5s
10. Analysis
The speaker of the poem is thinking about love, and
success.
Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;
When I behold, upon the night’s starred face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
11. Analysis
The speaker of the poem thinks that he will die long
before he will be able to achieve any of these
dreams, and can do nothing but try until the dreams die
with him.
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love…
12. Analysis
The speaker of the poem is afraid that he will not be
able to finish his works. That this is only the
beggining
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charactery,
