Poem Body
BY JOHN KEATS
When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain,
Before high-pilèd books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;
When I behold, upon the night’s starred 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.
Comments
My god
it's hard to believe this was written some two hundred years ago.
Keat's thoughts and fears are so fresh and vivid. I bet most of us have had exactly the same feelings, although maybe not managed to express them so eloquently.
So imagery rich, it's hard to know where to start - 'teeming brain', 'night's starred face', piles of books, full of rich, ripe language. And so it goes on.......
A wonderful poem Wesley.
Jx
I too
am a big fan of this brilliant piece. I number one piece of imagery. Can't find a better one.
Thanks for the choice.
Hi
The last two lines say enough for an entire poem........stan
It has taken me years not to read this poem...
and weep.
So much of his poetry does this, but this one is exceptional. The Elf's version is brutal. Brilliant. Hard to strip this of imagery and still keep the meaning intact.
Although I'm pleased with the result
I'm mortified by the transgression I have wreaked against Keats work in this workshop.
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/poems/fears-transgression-final-rewrit…