John Keats When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be

The world of arts are based on influencing people. Whether it is intentional or not, the way the various arts emotionally move people speaks volumes. John Keats, who lived from 1795-1821, was named one of the greatest Romantic poets of his time by many scholars. Although, he died at a considerably young age, 25 years old, he published fifty-four poems, in three slim volumes(PoetryFoundation.org). Keats and his works were criticized by others by considering him the “Cockneys School”, which were back then working class Londoners who were considered “low social class, lack of education, and vulgarity”(p. 404 ; sec John Keats). This did not stop Keats though from pursing his passion of writing about death, love, pain, and nature. After his death, …show more content…
The stanza of the poem,” When I have fears that I may cease to be --Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain. . . rich garners the full ripened grain”(p. 407) explicitly states that the speaker is not so much afraid of death itself but more of he may not be able to reach his full potential when death does overtake him. It’s important to note Keat uses alliteration within the first stanza with the words “"glean 'd," garners," and "grain” because it adds rhythm and mood and can have particular undertones. Keats uses words that are abstract to identify the starry night such as “symbols”, “romance”,”and “magic” in the lines six through eight. In the third quatrain it is revealed Keats is also talking about beauty and love in contrast to the last two lines “Of the wide world I stand alone, and think Till love and fame to nothingness do sink” that he stands under the starry night reflecting his fear of not accomplishing his “fame” and not experience love before he dies. The theme of this poem involves the pureness of love and mortality. Despite Keats continuous meter use of iambic pentameter and trochaic pentameter, Emily Dickinson does not follow the same rhythm in her