'On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again' by John Keats
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute!
Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away!
Leave melodizing on this wintry day,
Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute:
Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute,
Betwixt damnation and impassion'd clay
Must I burn through; once more humbly assay
The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit.
Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion,
Begetters of our deep eternal theme,
When through the old oak forest I am gone,
Let me not wander in a barren dream,
But when I am consumed in the fire,
Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire.
Editor 1 Interpretation
On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
John Keats' "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again" is a poem that speaks to the enduring power and relevance of Shakespeare's plays. Keats wrote this poem in 1818, nearly two hundred years ago, and yet it still resonates with readers today. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the themes and imagery of the poem, as well as its place in Keats' larger body of work.
The Power of Shakespearean Tragedy
At its core, "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again" is a meditation on the power of Shakespeare's tragedies. Keats is struck by the fact that, even after many years, he is still able to be moved by the story of King Lear. He writes:
O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute,
Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away!
Leave melodizing on this wintry day,
Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute:
These lines capture Keats' sense of awe and reverence for Shakespeare's work. He sees the "golden-tongued Romance" of the play, and he is struck by its power to transport him to another world. He implores the play to be "mute," not because he wants it to stop speaking to him, but because he is overwhelmed by its beauty.
Throughout the poem, Keats reflects on the themes of King Lear, particularly the idea that even the most powerful people are subject to the whims of fate. He writes:
Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kiss'd
By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine;
Make not your rosary of yew-berries,
Nor let the beetle, nor the death-moth be
Here, Keats alludes to the imagery of death and decay that runs through King Lear. He reminds us that even the most beautiful things are subject to the ravages of time, just as Lear is subject to the cruelty of his daughters.
Imagery and Figurative Language
One of the most striking things about "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again" is its use of vivid imagery and figurative language. Keats paints a picture of a wintry day, with the sun setting and the sky turning red. He writes:
The sun, the dreary sky had stain'd with blood,
Away I turn'd, and down upon the bench
Sat, by the morning hearth. There sat a youth,
Among fair-kirtled maids, to whom he coyly bent
These lines suggest a sense of foreboding and unease, as if the world itself is anticipating the tragedy that will unfold in King Lear. The use of the word "blood" to describe the sky is particularly powerful, as it suggests both violence and the inevitability of death.
Keats also uses metaphor to capture the emotional impact of King Lear. He writes:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He stared at the Pacific—and all his men
These lines compare the experience of reading King Lear to discovering a new planet or gazing out over the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. The use of metaphor here emphasizes the sense of wonder and awe that Keats feels when he reads Shakespeare's work.
Keats' Larger Body of Work
Although "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again" is a relatively short poem, it is nevertheless an important part of Keats' larger body of work. In many ways, this poem encapsulates the themes and preoccupations that run throughout Keats' poetry.
For example, Keats was deeply interested in the idea of negative capability, or the ability to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity in the face of life's mysteries. This idea is evident in "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again," as Keats grapples with the fact that he is still able to be moved by King Lear even after many years of reading and thinking about the play.
Similarly, Keats was fascinated by the idea of mortality and the transience of life. This theme is evident in the imagery of death and decay that runs through "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again." Keats reminds us that even the most powerful people are subject to the whims of fate, and that all beauty is ultimately fleeting.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again" is a powerful meditation on the enduring power of Shakespeare's tragedies. Keats captures the sense of awe and reverence that many people feel when they encounter Shakespeare's work, and he uses vivid imagery and metaphor to convey the emotional impact of King Lear. This poem is an important part of Keats' larger body of work, and it reflects his preoccupations with negative capability and mortality. Even after two hundred years, "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again" remains a powerful testament to the enduring power of great literature.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again: A Masterpiece by John Keats
John Keats, one of the greatest poets of the Romantic era, wrote the classic poem "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again" in 1818. This poem is a reflection of Keats' love for Shakespeare's play King Lear and his admiration for the power of literature to evoke emotions and inspire the human spirit. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, structure, and literary devices.
The poem begins with the speaker expressing his excitement at the prospect of reading King Lear once again. He says, "O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute!/ Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away!/ Leave melodizing on this wintry day,/ Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute." The speaker addresses the book as a "golden-tongued Romance" and a "fair plumed Syren," indicating his admiration for the beauty and power of literature. He asks the book to be silent and let him immerse himself in the world of King Lear.
The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a reflection on the power of literature to transport the reader to another world and evoke emotions. The speaker says, "Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute,/ Betwixt damnation and impassioned clay,/ Must I burn through; once more humbly assay/ The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit." The "fierce dispute" refers to the struggle between good and evil, which is a central theme of King Lear. The speaker acknowledges that reading the play is a difficult and emotional experience, but he is willing to "burn through" it once again to experience the "bitter-sweet" of the play's themes.
The second stanza explores the theme of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. The speaker says, "Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion,/ Begetters of our deep eternal theme!/ When through the old oak Forest I am gone,/ Let me not wander in a barren dream." The "Chief Poet" refers to Shakespeare, who is the master of the "deep eternal theme" of mortality. The speaker asks to be guided by the "clouds of Albion," which represent the spirit of England and its literary tradition. He fears that if he does not read King Lear, he will be lost in a "barren dream" and miss out on the profound insights into life and death that the play offers.
The third stanza explores the theme of madness, which is a central element of King Lear. The speaker says, "What is there in thee, thou mightst behold,/ In time to come, a dreaded hour unfold,/ When the poor heart must anguish, and the head,/ Be laid low in the dust, with the white hair,/ And lips that have spoke falsehood, and the dead/ Cold cheeks whereon the purpling blood lay bare?" The speaker asks what the book contains that could prepare him for the "dreaded hour" of death, when the body will decay and the mind will be lost. He suggests that the play's exploration of madness and the breakdown of the human psyche can help him understand the fragility of the human condition.
The fourth stanza explores the theme of love and the power of family relationships. The speaker says, "Lear's shadowy daughters waver in their mood,/ And like a shower of pearls, came feelingly./ Ah! filial piety!- 'tis not alone/ Through cold adversity we brightly see/ Thy love to us- but in thy summer hour,/ Of luxurious joy,- that only seems to shower/ Flushes of roses o'er thy daughter's brow." The speaker reflects on the relationship between King Lear and his daughters, and the power of filial piety to overcome adversity. He suggests that the play's exploration of family relationships can help him understand the power of love and the importance of family.
The fifth and final stanza reflects on the power of literature to inspire the human spirit and evoke emotions. The speaker says, "O let me once again/ A glimpse perceive of thee!/ Speak for me once again!/ A momentary tone,/ That breathes upon the spirit of my youth,/ Wreathing its tendrils round our lonely home,/ And withering up the heart." The speaker asks the book to inspire him once again, to evoke the emotions of his youth and remind him of the power of literature to transform the human spirit.
In terms of structure, the poem is written in five stanzas of six lines each, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCC. The use of rhyme and meter gives the poem a musical quality, which reflects the speaker's admiration for the beauty of literature. The poem is also rich in literary devices, including alliteration, metaphor, and personification. For example, the speaker refers to the book as a "golden-tongued Romance" and a "fair plumed Syren," using metaphor to convey his admiration for the power of literature. He also personifies the book, asking it to be silent and then to speak for him once again.
In conclusion, "On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again" is a masterpiece of Romantic poetry, which explores the power of literature to evoke emotions and inspire the human spirit. Through its exploration of themes such as mortality, madness, love, and family relationships, the poem reminds us of the profound insights into the human condition that can be gained through reading great literature. The poem's use of rhyme, meter, and literary devices gives it a musical quality that reflects the beauty and power of literature. As readers, we can be inspired by Keats' love for Shakespeare's play and his belief in the transformative power of literature.
Editor Recommended Sites
Play RPGs: Find the best rated RPGs to play online with friendsLearn Go: Learn programming in Go programming language by Google. A complete course. Tutorials on packages
Skforecast: Site dedicated to the skforecast framework
Google Cloud Run Fan site: Tutorials and guides for Google cloud run
Crypto Merchant - Crypto currency integration with shopify & Merchant crypto interconnect: Services and APIs for selling products with crypto
Recommended Similar Analysis
Holy Thursday by William Blake analysisHeat by H.D. analysis
Nurse's Song (Innocence) by William Blake analysis
"Strange Fits of Passion Have I Known" by William Wordsworth analysis
Witches ' Frolic, The by Richard Harris Barham analysis
Lockless Door, The by Robert Lee Frost analysis
The Laboratory by Robert Browning analysis
Pippa 's Song by Robert Browning analysis
"The Dreams of My Heart" by Sarah Teasdale analysis
Time 's Revenges by Robert Browning analysis