Life of John Keats

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Keats's grandfather Jennings; his father and mother; Keats

born in London, October 31, 1795; his brothers and sister;

goes to the school of John Clarke at Enfield, and is tutored

by Charles Cowden Clarke; death of his parents; is

apprenticed to a surgeon, Hammond; leaves Hammond,

and studies surgery; reads Spenser, and takes to poetry;

his literary acquaintances - Leigh Hunt, Haydon, J.

Hamilton Reynolds, Dilke, &c.; Keats's first volume,

"Poems," 1817

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CHAPTER II.

Keats begins "Endymion," May 1817; his health suffers in
Oxford; finishes "Endymion" in November; his friend,
Charles Armitage Brown; his brother George marries
and emigrates to America; Keats and Brown make a
walking tour in Scotland and Ireland; returns to Hamp-
stead, owing to a sore throat; death of his brother Tom;
his description of Miss Cox ("Charmian"), and of Miss
Brawne, with whom he falls in love; a difference with

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Haydon; visits Winchester; George Keats returns for

a short while from America, but goes away again with-

out doing anything to relieve John Keats from straits in

money matters

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CHAPTER III.

Keats's consumptive illness begins, February 1820; he rallies,

but has a relapse in June; he stays with Leigh Hunt, and

leaves him suddenly; publication of his last volume,

"Lamia" &c.; returns to Hampstead before starting
for Italy; his love-letters to Miss Brawne-extracts;

Haydon's last sight of him; he sails for Italy with Joseph

Severn; letter to Brown; Naples and Rome; extracts from

Severn's letters; Keats dies in Rome, February 23, 1821. 40

CHAPTER IV.

Keats rhymes in infancy; his first writings, the "Imitation

of Spenser," and some sonnets; not precocious as a poet;

his sonnet on Chapman's Homer; contents of his first

volume, "Poems," 1817; Hunt's first sight of his poems

in MS.; "Sleep and Poetry," extract regarding poetry

of the Pope school, &c.; the publishers, Messrs. Ollier,

give up the volume as a failure

CHAPTER V.

"Endymion "; Keats's classical predilections; extract (from

"I stood tiptoe " &c.) about Diana and Endymion; details

as to the composition of “Endymion,” 1817; preface to

the poem; the critique in The Quarterly Review; attack

in Blackwood's Magazine; question whether Keats broke

down under hostile criticism; evidence on this subject in

his own letters, and by Shelley, Lord Houghton, Haydon,

Byron, Hunt, George Keats, Cowden Clarke, Severn;

conclusion

CHAPTER VI.

Poems included in the "Lamia" volume, 1820; "Isabella";

"The Eve of St. Agnes"; "Hyperion"; "Lamia ";

five odes; other poems-sonnet on "The Nile ";

"The

Eve of St. Mark,” “Otho the Great," "La Belle Dame

sans Merci," "The Cap and Bells," final sonnet, &c.;

Keats's grave in Rome; projects of Brown and others for
writing his Life; his brother George, and his sister, Mrs.
Llanos; Miss Brawne; discussion as to Hunt's friendship
to Keats; other friends-Bailey, Haydon, Shelley .

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CHAPTER VIII.

Keats's appearance; portraits; difficulties in estimating his
character; his poetic ambition, and feeling on subjects of
historical or public interest; his intensity of thought;
moral tone; question as to his strength of character-
Haydon's opinion; demeanour among friends; studious
resolves; suspicious tendency; his feeling toward women
-poem quoted; love of flowers and music; politics;
irritation against Leigh Hunt; his letters; antagonism
to science; remarks on contemporary writers; axioms on
poetry; self-analysis as to his perceptions as a poet; feel-
ings as to painting; sense of humour, punning, &c.; in-
difference in religious matters; his sentiments as to the
immortality of the soul; fondness for wine and game;
summary

CHAPTER IX.

Influence of Spenser discussed; flimsiness of Keats's first

volume; early sonnets; Endymion"; Shelley's criti-

cisms of this poem; detailed argument of the poem ; esti-