John Keats Poetry Revision
On The Sea
- Here Keats wants his readers to re-connect with nature as it is awe-inspiring and
laments that man has forsaken nature for the city.
- ‘It keeps eternal whisperings around desolate shores with mighty swell’. Here, through
the personifcaaon of the sea Keats emphasizes the power of nature as ‘eternal
whisperings’ creates a mythical and magical semanac feld of the sea as it resembles
religious chanang. Hence, the sea is depicted to be like God as it can protect and create
harmony- benevelovent deity. CONTEXT: example of ‘God in Nature’ which was a belief
of Romanac poets. Thhe noun ‘whisperings’ has a softsubtle sound showing the
tranquility of the sea which juxtaposes to the harsh and abrupt sounds of modern life.
CONTEXT: refects Keats’ belief in the sublime and his dismissal of the industrial
revoluaon. ‘Desolate’ creates an image of nature abandoned by man. ‘Mighty swell’
emphasizes the God-like afect of nature as it evinces the powertenergy of the sea.
- ‘Till the spell of Hectate leaves them their own shadowy sound’. Here, through this
metaphor the power of the sea is presented as ‘hectate’was the goddess of magic,
witchcraf, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy and received power over the sea,
heaven and earth. So, the sea has the power to cause devastaaon and bring new life-
sinister and mythical qualiaes entwined. CONTEXT: Romanac poets believed their
inspiraaon comes from a divine being. Keats used the sea as an escape mechanism of
the deaths of his family members. Thhe sibilance of ‘shadowy sound’ (synaesthesia)
shows the sea’s ability to return Keats to a peaceful state.
- ‘Oh ye! Whose ears are dinned with uproar rude’.Thhe onomatopoeia of ‘dinned with
uproar rude’ shows the cacophony of modern life, which contrasts to the sibilance of
the sof sounds of the sea. CONTEXT:Keats appears to be condemning the trivial
convenaons of polite society, inferring that ‘natural’ behavior is the most desirable.
- ‘Sit ye near some old cavern’s mouth and brood’. Here, through ‘cavern’ a semanac
feld of entrapment is created suggesang Keats desires for his readers to be enclosed
within nature.
- STRUCTURE: Petrarchan sonnet. It is divided into two parts - an octet of eight lines and
a sestet of six lines. Thhe octet describes in vivid details the melody of the waves, the size
of the ocean and the sheer beauty of the sea. Thhe sestet relates one's sense of awe and
our feelings and emoaons to the sea. Thhe length and rhythm through iambic
pentameter creates a wave-like efect thereby emphasizing the depth of the sea and
how nature is infnite. CONTEXT: refects Keats’ belief in the sublime helping him to
escape from the perils within his own life. Thhere is no ‘I’ in the poem showing it’s not a
personal poem and rather focuses on nature- Keats is rejuvenated by a powerful force.
On The Sea
- Here Keats wants his readers to re-connect with nature as it is awe-inspiring and
laments that man has forsaken nature for the city.
- ‘It keeps eternal whisperings around desolate shores with mighty swell’. Here, through
the personifcaaon of the sea Keats emphasizes the power of nature as ‘eternal
whisperings’ creates a mythical and magical semanac feld of the sea as it resembles
religious chanang. Hence, the sea is depicted to be like God as it can protect and create
harmony- benevelovent deity. CONTEXT: example of ‘God in Nature’ which was a belief
of Romanac poets. Thhe noun ‘whisperings’ has a softsubtle sound showing the
tranquility of the sea which juxtaposes to the harsh and abrupt sounds of modern life.
CONTEXT: refects Keats’ belief in the sublime and his dismissal of the industrial
revoluaon. ‘Desolate’ creates an image of nature abandoned by man. ‘Mighty swell’
emphasizes the God-like afect of nature as it evinces the powertenergy of the sea.
- ‘Till the spell of Hectate leaves them their own shadowy sound’. Here, through this
metaphor the power of the sea is presented as ‘hectate’was the goddess of magic,
witchcraf, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy and received power over the sea,
heaven and earth. So, the sea has the power to cause devastaaon and bring new life-
sinister and mythical qualiaes entwined. CONTEXT: Romanac poets believed their
inspiraaon comes from a divine being. Keats used the sea as an escape mechanism of
the deaths of his family members. Thhe sibilance of ‘shadowy sound’ (synaesthesia)
shows the sea’s ability to return Keats to a peaceful state.
- ‘Oh ye! Whose ears are dinned with uproar rude’.Thhe onomatopoeia of ‘dinned with
uproar rude’ shows the cacophony of modern life, which contrasts to the sibilance of
the sof sounds of the sea. CONTEXT:Keats appears to be condemning the trivial
convenaons of polite society, inferring that ‘natural’ behavior is the most desirable.
- ‘Sit ye near some old cavern’s mouth and brood’. Here, through ‘cavern’ a semanac
feld of entrapment is created suggesang Keats desires for his readers to be enclosed
within nature.
- STRUCTURE: Petrarchan sonnet. It is divided into two parts - an octet of eight lines and
a sestet of six lines. Thhe octet describes in vivid details the melody of the waves, the size
of the ocean and the sheer beauty of the sea. Thhe sestet relates one's sense of awe and
our feelings and emoaons to the sea. Thhe length and rhythm through iambic
pentameter creates a wave-like efect thereby emphasizing the depth of the sea and
how nature is infnite. CONTEXT: refects Keats’ belief in the sublime helping him to
escape from the perils within his own life. Thhere is no ‘I’ in the poem showing it’s not a
personal poem and rather focuses on nature- Keats is rejuvenated by a powerful force.
