Keats wrote Isabella because he wanted to produce a commercial success,
but he also thought it was too smokeable, i.e. that critics would
ridicule it. What do you consider to be the positive aspects of the poem?
Why might it also have been susceptible to criticism?
‘Isabella; or the pot of basil’ was written soon after Keats had
attended lectures by a critic. The critic had suggested that a poetic
translation of the 14th century works by the Italian writer Boccaccio
‘could not fail in the present day’. Keats’s poem is based upon the
Italians story called the ‘Decameron’ in which Isabella’s love
strengthens due to her loss of her true love, Lorenzo, who her
brothers were unable to accept into the family and so disposed of him.
The fact that the poem is based upon someone else’s story may have got
the poem ridiculed by critics because it was not original; also Keats
was not yet a well established poet (as he was from a humble
background) and so he might have been ridiculed for using other
authors hard work just for profit and due to the fact that someone
else thought it would make money Keats may have been scorned as he
couldn’t come up with his own inventions. ‘Stealing’ ideas from
another may also have caused mocking at Keats’s ability to produce his
own works.
Another reason that Keats believed that his work was ‘too smokeable’,
in other words his poem would go up in smoke too easily, because the
critics may have thought that Keats would go to any lengths for fame,
even taking a well known fairy tale story and turning it into a money
maker for himself. In a letter written to his friend in October 1818
Keats revealed that fame was not on his agenda as he described himself
as a “camelion poet”, ‘camelion’ has connotations of something which
takes on the colours of its background in order to camouflage, in
other words, Keats was not interested in the conventional things of
poetry, he wanted to be invisible to others, but his work to be seen.
Keats did not want fame, but a reason for him believing his work would
be subject to ridicule is that others may have believed he was only
writing for fame.
When Keats was preparing for the publication of Isabella he condemned
it’s ‘inexperience’; ‘simplicity’ and ‘mawkishness’ in terms of its
language and the storyline, Keats may have just been covering for
himself and his reputation in case of ridicule, or his writing skills
had improved during the eighteen months prior to its publication, and
Critics of the period were hesitant to praise ‘Choise’. However, contemporary critic, J.B Steane, claimed the poem ‘seems worth reprinting both as a curiosity, and for what one can see as a certain charm and freshness. In its (not unimportant) way, it even does Nashe’s century some credit.’ The idea of ‘freshness’ in regards to the text is evident in the use emotive language to depict Tomalin’s amazement towards Francis, in the description ‘sweeping she coms, as she would brush the ground, / Hir ratling silke 's my sences doe confound.’ (Nashe, 65) The language here is more akin with love poetry than other sections of the text, and it is in part the fluctuation in language which situates ‘Choise’ as something oppositional to the expected. As Brown explains, Nashes ‘was the epitome of verbal facility and quick wit, who came to be identified with a particular kind of literary value.’ (Brown, 59) The originality of Nashe’s poetry, coupled with his lustful subject matter is reflected throughout the poem, such as: ‘first bare hir leggs, then creepe up to hir kneese. / From thence ascend unto hir mannely thigh.’ (Nashe, 65) ‘Choise’ therefore belongs to a segment of literature which presents lust ‘in a salacious,
The Modernist Fiction period took place during the 1920’s and revolutionized the American way of life in literature, economically, and socially. There was a national vision of upward mobility during this time that represented the American Dream. The upward mobility was seen through the consumerism and materialism that dominated this decade economically. Popular novels of this time reflected the mass consumerism in the lives of those wrote them. During the American Modernist Fiction period, Americans became increasingly materialistic throughout the roaring twenties; therefore, the American Dream was to obtain upper class status through the possession of material goods, which was reflected in many of this period’s works.
In this poem “Luxury”, Nikki Giovanni examines the word luxury and by doing this she realizes what it means to her. She realizes having more materialistic things in life isn’t all that we need. We need something that’s going to last forever something that can’t be taken away. So instead of finding contentment in the things we as society find luxurious, she found all the luxury in the world in her soulmate. To Giovanni love is the state of great comfort and extravagant living, meaning it’s more important than fame, money, fast cars and expensive clothes. Love by definition is a strong feeling of deep affection for somebody/something and this is what she felt when she was held that “one evening” (23).
"I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on" (SparkNote on Frankenstein). This famous quote said by Frankenstein, in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which leaves a lasting impression on the reader was intended by Shelley. Literature was a major part of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's childhood and adulthood.
The very start of World War I brought the culture of the twentieth century to a world of the new ages. The abrupt start of the war brought conflict and confusion. This sudden flash of reality and birth of new technology whirled into a frenzy of madness that introduced the idea of demoralization. It was the beginning of Modernism which many American authors jumped into. One of them was Scott Fitzgerald who was heavily known for his greatest piece The Great Gatsby, in which a man takes a tight grip onto his past and tries to relive the life he yearned for. At the same time, this novel is being clashed with themes of loneliness and demoralization of the characters and the division of social classes.
England in the nineteenth century was a time of change, as people were migrating from farms to cities. Many worked as laborers and farmers to maintain a living, but by mid century there was a shift in the work force. As machine were introduced to the fields of industry, England entered its industrial revolution. Not only were people changing where they lived, but also how they viewed life. The nineteenth century was also known as the Romantic Period, when poets often wrote about economic and social changes in society. John Keats was a daring, Romantic lyric poet who wrote about life in a way that other poets would not.
During his last years, Keats ponders about what it would mean to die. He translates this into fears of what he hasn’t yet accomplished and would like to have time to do. This aspect of time is emphasised with the use of the word “when” at the start of the first three quatrains which is also used in Shakespearean Sonnets. The heading, “When I have fears that I may cease to be” demonstrates Keats’ belief, or rather, lack of belief in the idea of an afterlife. In the first quatrain of the poem Keats describes his fertile imagination, yearning to have “glean’d my teeming brain” before it is too late, the image of abundance is instilled with the words “high- piled” and “rich.” The paradox of a field of grain is used to depict Keats’ brain being ‘harvested’ of the knowledge into poems of his own creation. In this stanza, Keats reveals his want for fame through his works and his fears of being unable to fulfil this in his time.
middle of paper ... ... He forgets about the impossible, and being immortal and being alone, but rather embraces the temporary and exhilarating. Keats presents his feelings on how he no longer wishes for impossible goals, and how it is much more preferable to enjoy life as much as possible. It is of no use longing for things we cannot have, and so we must learn to live with the myriad of things we already have, of which one in particular appeals to Keats: the warmth of human companionship and the passion of love.
John Keats employs word choices and word order to illustrate his contemplative and sympathetic tone. The tone could be interpreted as pessimistic and depressing because the majority of the poem focuses on Keats’ fear of death. However, if the reader views the last two lines of the poem in light which brings redemption, one might see that Keats merely wants to express the importance of this dominant fear in his life. He does not desire for his audience to focus on death, but to realize that man does not have control of when it comes. The poet uses poetic diction, a popular technique of the early nineteenth century. The poem also demonstrates formal diction that Keats is often known for. Although Keats meant for most of his words to interpret with denotative meanings, he does present a few examples of allusion and connotation. His connotations include “teeming,” defined as plen...
Imagery is a primary literary technique a poet uses to capture the readers or listeners senses. We gain comprehension of the world through the use of our sense. Therefore, how the reader perceives a poem is always the most important aspect every poet considers whilst writhing. The images of a poem have the ability to appeal of each of our senses, taste, smell, touch, hearing and sight can all be heightened by certain aspects of poetry. The imagery of a poem has the ability to transport us into a different place or time, allowing the reader to experience new observations. When used correctly, imagery has the ability to form an understanding of different emotions the poet tries to address through their poetry. The sounds and diction incorporated into a piece also plays a role of major importance. The use of similes, metaphors, alliteration, personification and countless other forms of literary techniques, all add a sensual feeling and experience to poetry in an assortment of ways. In the Odes of John Keats we are witness to an extensive use of literary techniques. Keats uses a variety of approaches in order to evoke the world of senses throughout his poetry. His Odes ‘on Indolence’ and ‘to Psyche’, ’a Nightingale’, ‘To Autumn’ and ‘Ode on Melancholy’ all demonstrate Keats amazing ability to arouse the senses of his readers with his diverse and vast use of literary and poetic techniques.
“I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.” This is a quote from the elegant, sophisticated and charming Audrey Hepburn, who Vogue calls “incomparably lovely.” Audrey Hepburn was one of the world’s most devoted, popular, and caring women in the entertainment business of and beyond her time. The world would benefit greatly from more women like Hepburn (Christy 8.)
By no means was Wordsworth’s work not of value, nor is it unworthy of study. However, as well as being an end in itself, it is a block upon which Keats' builds to find a deeper, more rounded truth, inspiring deeper, more lasting ideas of one’s own experience, instead of writing on unknown subjects in unknown vocabularies, winding up at a simplistic view of human experience. Considering Wordsworth as a predecessor to Keats both chronologically, and in terms of the complexity of their works, can help define the bounds of what is considered Romantic: where the base of the movement lies and how far forward it extends before the advent of the Victorian literary period.
Writing has not benefitted him well financially, it goes up and down but mostly stays low. Keats is constantly finding himself relying on different friends to support him. The Fall of Hyperion is a piece he wrote during this difficult time. Keats writing never were recognized for how great they were until after he died. His work was heavily criticized during his life, and no one had any respect for him or his writings. Five months pass he is still sick but still writing away even when his condition worsens. For him to be so sick and negative criticism around him, it is crazy that now even though those hard times he produces some of the greatest pieces. Fanny wanted to get married but Keats thought it unwise with him one not know exactly what he has and two slowly dying with time. He loves this women but would hate to see her having to suffer along with him. If she started taking care of him like he had his mother, then she might get the disease also, and he is not willing to put her through that agony that he is currently going through. He starts having coughing fits where he ends up spitting up blood. This new stage of the sickness is worse than anything before (Everest
Writing has been the most powerful and most accessible tool in the modern era. It was the most powerful weapon in the history with the major impacts, too. The stories which romanticise the certain behaviours made them widely accepted and adopted by the people such as Goethe’s autobiographical novel, The Sorrows of the Young Werther. The young men began to imitate the main character, wear yellow pants and blue jackets as him and the majority of these men ended up with the copycat suicide called Werther’s effect after it was published in the 1770s. While the fiction context’s feature is undeniable and involved in non-fiction, the non-fiction genre has even achieved the greater success in terms of the impact. The holy books spread the religions
Historical Criticism is criticism that “considers how military, social, cultural, economic, scientific, intellectual, literary, and every other kind of history helps us to understand the author and the work” (Lynn 142). Simply stated, unlike the previously discussed criticisms, Historical Criticism connects a work to certain times or places, revealing its historical influences. Therefore, the reader is required to perform research in order to learn more about the author’s life, the author’s time period and culture, and the way of reasoning during that time. Accordingly, with a critical eye, the reader should relate the information back to the work which will provide the reader with a richer understanding of the reading as well as with author’s message to the reader (Lynn 29-31). Beyond “close reading”, the reader must research what establishes the foundation of the work. Although, below the foundation of a work there lies an even richer understanding of the