Romantic Poets : John Keats

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Romanticism is defined as a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual. It was a movement that affected many English authors and poets. One of those poets being John Keats, who became one of the main figures among Romantic poets. Keats only lived to be twenty-five years old, but within those twenty-five years, he was able to write numerous poems that would now be considered as some of the greatest pieces ever written. Keats was born in Moorgate, London, England on October 31, 1795. He was the son of Francis and Thomas Keats, who was the manager of a livery stable. Keats was the oldest of four children; George Keats, Tom Keats, and…show more content…
Being only fourteen at the time, he had experienced the death of both of his parents. These events lead to the shaping of his character. It deepened his sense of the tragic nature in human existence. After his mother’s death, he became the head of the Keats family. He was unable to complete school because his new guardian, Richard Abbey, denied his inheritance from his grandmother and mother. For four years, Keats became an apprentice to Thomas Hammond, a local apothecary-surgeon. He would intensely study medicine until he moved to London in 1815. Keats became a student intern at Guy’s Hospital for two years. While interning, Keats would face the daily tragedies of suffering and death through the endless amounts of patients. During the day time, he would dress the wounds of dozens of patients, but at night, he would dedicate himself to literature. He would read books, discuss literature, and write poetry. Within those two years, Keats increasingly became more passionate about poetry. He used it as an escape from his daily unpleasantness. Life and death became a repetitive theme throughout his writings. Keats was also introduced to Leigh Hunt, John Reynolds, and Benjamin Haydon through Clarke. These people were able to convince that Keats true passion was in literature, not in medicine and surgery. He leaves the hospital and publishes his first book, Poems. The year of 1818 was a
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