Last sonnet by john keats. Last Sonnet, by John Keats 2022-10-18
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John Keats' "To Sleep" is the last sonnet he ever wrote, and it is a beautiful and fitting conclusion to his career as a poet. In this sonnet, Keats reflects on the peaceful and restful state of sleep, and how it provides a respite from the troubles and anxieties of the world.
The sonnet is structured in the traditional form, with 14 lines and a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. The first quatrain introduces the theme of sleep and its importance, with Keats describing it as a "soft descent" and a "balm" that can heal the mind and body. The second quatrain explores the idea that sleep allows us to escape from the harsh realities of life, offering a "drowsy numbness" that blots out the cares and troubles of the day.
The third quatrain shifts to a more personal tone, as Keats reflects on his own experiences with sleep and the solace it has brought him. He writes that when he is in the "arms of Morpheus," he can forget his own mortality and the pain and suffering that he has experienced. The final couplet of the sonnet sums up this sentiment, with Keats declaring that sleep is a "joyous thing" that allows him to "dream of joy."
Overall, "To Sleep" is a poignant and beautifully written sonnet that captures the profound importance of sleep in our lives. It is a fitting final work for Keats, who was a master of the form and a poet who was deeply attuned to the beauty and complexity of the human experience.
His Last Sonnet by John Keats
. John Keats was born near London on 31st October 1795 221 years ago. He does not want to be alone like the star hanging albeit in splendour in the night sky. Sadly, during this early part of his life which was full of love and poetry, he demonstrated the early stages of consumption tuberculosis and despite escaping the cold, English winter by going to Italy, he died a year later. He is detached, alone, solitary. This could be seen as a bad thing think back to the unresting star but Keats adds "sweet" to show us that this would be pleasant. In the opening line, Keats speaks directly to the 'Bright star' this is most likely the North Star - this is the star that sailors used to use to navigate as it remains in a constant place above the North Pole - hence is "steadfast".
The sestet develops his thinking to explain what characteristics of the star he is admiring. He attended a good school where he learned lots about ancient and contemporary literature. Nowadays however, it is believed that it was written in 1819 and it is not known who it is written to. The poem exemplifies Keats brilliant poetic mind and ability to convey human feeling and experience. He talks about the dangers of writing within a box, and the problems therein of writing in such a way that the poetical world remains without change.
These sacrifices or hardships are further developed by the comparison to Eremite as a religious recluse. . He died in 1821 aged just 25. He wants to be steadfast and unchangeable with his head on his love's breast. .
It is how "steadfast" it is. John Keats Last Sonnet BRIGHT Star, would I were steadfast as thou art— Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night, And watching, with eternal lids apart, Like Nature's patient sleepless Eremite, The moving waters at their priest-like task Of pure ablution round earth's human shores, Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask Of snow upon the mountains and the moors— No—yet still steadfast, still unchangeable, Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast, To feel for ever its soft fall and swell, Awake for ever in a sweet unrest, Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, And so live ever—or else swoon to death. The rest of the octave goes on to ponder the characteristics of the star. The lone star can also only watch the snow fall on the mountains and moors. The forth line develops this with a simile suggesting that the star is nature's "patient, sleepless Eremite.
Last Sonnet is a love poem, it was originally believed to be the last poem Keats wrote hence the title and that it was written to his fiancee, Fanny Brawne. Throughout the octave, Keats personifies the star. In combination, all of these elements highlight the loneliness of the star. BRIGHT Star, would I were steadfast as thou art-- Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night, And watching, with eternal lids apart, Like Nature's patient sleepless Eremite, The moving waters at their priest-like task Of pure ablution round earth's human shores, Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask Of snow upon the mountains and the moors-- No--yet still steadfast, still unchangeable, Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast, To feel for ever its soft fall and swell, Awake for ever in a sweet unrest, Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, And so live ever--or else swoon to death. His unpopularity was considered to have had such an effect on Keats that some poets actually believed he had died of a broken heart.
Last Sonnet · Poem by John Keats on opportunities.alumdev.columbia.edu
He wants to feel the rise and fall of her breathing. He wants to be in this place forever, or he wants to die! He can only watch the oceans as they lap at the shores again there is a sense religious hardship suggested in this - "ablution" is a ritualistic, religious washing, and "priest-like". This reminds the reader that everyone, including the speaker of the poem and this is the human condition unlike the star who will at least be there for a lot longer! He does not just want to be watching the world below - the "eternal lids apart" suggest an inability to sleep or rest. John Keats himself did a variety of different things within his poetry; it was self-expression and his method of exploration within a world that Keats left far too early. This implies that although the star can see all of life on earth, he cannot take part in any of it.
The final line is the most dramatic. It is a powerful reflection on love, nature, death and time. Keats says that he wishes he was a constant, or he could mean if he was a constant as this star. After initially training as a surgeon, Keats eventually decided to pursue a career in Literature and became an associate of many celebrated writers of the time. His parents had both died 1810 and he and his siblings were looked after by their grandmother.
