The Life and Legacy of John Keats

Early Life and Education of John Keats

John Keats was born on October 31, 1795, in London, England. He was the eldest of Thomas and Frances Keats's four children. The family enjoyed a comfortable life until the untimely death of his father in a horse-riding accident in 1804. This event precipitated a period of financial instability and personal loss, exacerbated by his mother's remarriage and subsequent death from tuberculosis in 1810. Keats received his education at John Clarke’s Enfield private school, where he developed a keen interest in literature and formed a close friendship with the headmaster's son, Charles Cowden Clarke, who would later become an influential figure in his literary career.

The Path to Poetry

Keats began his professional life in the field of medicine, apprenticing under a surgeon in Edmonton before enrolling at Guy's Hospital in London, where he completed his training as an apothecary. Despite his medical pursuits, Keats was deeply engaged with poetry, a passion that was encouraged by the Clarke family. They introduced him to the works of poets such as Edmund Spenser and exposed him to contemporary political thought through The Examiner, a liberal publication. By 1816, Keats had earned his apothecary's license but decided to forsake his medical career to devote himself entirely to poetry, a choice that would cement his place in literary history.

Literary Aspirations and Challenges

Keats's foray into the literary world was significantly influenced by his association with Leigh Hunt, a poet and editor of The Examiner, who introduced Keats to other prominent writers and artists of the era. This circle included Percy Bysshe Shelley and Benjamin Robert Haydon. Despite the support of his peers, Keats's early works, including his first collection titled 'Poems' in 1817 and the epic poem 'Endymion' in 1818, were not commercially successful and were met with scathing reviews. Critics like John Gibson Lockhart disparaged Keats's work, often attacking his lower-middle-class origins and lack of formal education.

Illness, Love, and the 'Great Year'

The latter part of 1818 was marred by personal tragedy for Keats, as he cared for his brother Tom, who was suffering from tuberculosis, the same disease that had claimed their mother. Tom's death in December of that year had a profound impact on Keats, who likely contracted the disease around this time. Amidst this sorrow, Keats found comfort in his deepening affection for Fanny Brawne, a relationship that inspired much of his poetry but remained unconsummated due to his illness. The following year, 1819, was Keats's most productive period, often referred to as his 'Great Year'. During this time, he composed several of his most enduring works, including the series of six odes that remain central to his poetic legacy. However, his health deteriorated rapidly, and by 1820 he was severely ill with tuberculosis.

Final Days and Posthumous Recognition

In an attempt to improve his health, Keats left for Rome in September 1820, accompanied by his friend, the painter Joseph Severn. Despite the milder climate and medical attention, Keats's condition continued to decline. He died on February 23, 1821, at the age of 25. His grave in Rome's Protestant Cemetery bears the epitaph he requested, "Here lies One Whose Name was writ in Water," reflecting his belief that he had not made a lasting impression as a poet. Keats's reputation grew significantly after his death, and he is now considered one of the greatest poets of the Romantic era, with his work having a profound influence on later generations of poets and writers.

Keats' Legacy in the Romantic Movement

John Keats is celebrated as one of the central figures of the Romantic movement, renowned for his exploration of beauty, nature, love, and the imagination. His poetry is characterized by sensual imagery and a contemplative tone, embodying the Romantic ideal of the artist as a creative genius. Keats's relationships with other literary figures, such as Shelley and Hunt, were instrumental in his development as a poet. Despite his career being tragically brief, Keats's contributions to English literature are immense, with his works from the 'Great Year' of 1819, including "Ode to a Nightingale," "Ode on a Grecian Urn," and "To Autumn," standing as enduring masterpieces of Romantic poetry.