When I Have Fears : The Liberty Of Limitations

Robert Frost and William Shakespeare have been celebrated by many people because of their ability to express themselves through the written word. Here we are years after their deaths analyzing these fascinating poems about life and death. It’s clear they had similar thoughts about this subject at the time of these writings, even though their characters could not have been more opposite. For both poets, life is too

But, we should first and foremost put this sonnet back in its context. We can easily presume that it is autobiographic, thus that Keats reveals us his own worries. In 1818, he is aware that he has short time left to live due to the fatal illness

Nevertheless, what Keats is trying to get at here is that autumn has finished all her work, and there is nothing to do but wait for winter, so she is going to be lazy and enjoy what all her hard work has brought her as she watches the “last oozings” (l. 22) of the

As people near the time of their deaths, they begin to reflect upon the history and events of their own lives. Both John Keats’ “When I have Fears” and Henry Longfellow’s “Mezzo Cammin” reflect upon the speakers’ fears and thoughts of death. However, the conclusions between these two poems end quite differently. Although both reflect upon Death’s grasp, Keats’ displays an appreciation and subtle satisfaction with the wonders of life, while Longfellow morbidly mourns his past inactions and fears what events the future may bring.

One characteristic embedded in the minds of almost all humans is that of succumbing in pursuit of one’s aspirations, especially with the approach of death. The fear and enigmatic mystery of death at the brink of this shortcoming may cause one who is near death to re-evaluate life as a wasted opportunity or a broken path of dreams because of the inability to find any type of success. The sonnets “Mezzo Cammin” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and “When I have Fears” by John Keats examine the thought processes of two people who submit to the struggles of life in a depressed way. While communicating a very similar foundational message and mood in a different way through diction and structure, the speakers in “Mezzo Cammin” and “When I Have Fears” identify their despair through likewise differing literary elements which complement and bring out the message intended by these troubled individuals.

While both Keats and Longfellow often reflect on their own unfulfilled dreams and impending deaths, the poems however contrast on their own dispositions towards death and the future. Here, Keats expresses a fear of not having enough time to accomplish all that he believes he is capable of doing, but as he recognizes the enormity of the world and his own limitations of life, he realizes that his own mortal goals are meaningless in the long run of things. On the other hand, Longfellow speaks of a regret towards his inaction for allowing time to slip away from him in his past and is at a crossroads for the ominous future that looms ahead of him. Through the use of light and dark imagery, and personification, Keats and Longfellow similarly yet also differently, reflect on their own ideas for death and the futures that lay ahead of them.

Part of being human is understanding we are not immortal, and will eventually cease to function. For some, this acknowledgement is a daunting reality swept into the back of the mind to be forgotten. While for others it is an inspiring awareness that encourages us to live every day to its fullest potential. Both of these feelings about death can be seen in John Donne’s, “Holy Sonnet 10” and Philip Larkin’s, “Aubade”. Together they challenge the reader to accept their fate and make the most of the time we have on Earth. Both authors employ various poetic devices and prosody to give an understanding of death.

Death is a theme that is used all too often in literature. Usually when people encounter death, they come to expect certain feelings. Whether someone they know has passed away, or they are just reading a play in which someone dies; death is often associated with feelings of anger, depression, and denial. In a play titled Wit, Margaret Edson depicts stages of dying through a woman who is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In his holy sonnet “Death, Be Not Proud”, John Donne challenges death in a way that illustrates his belief that there is an afterlife.

John Keats’ “When I have fears” and Longfellow’s “Mezzo Cammin” both reflect on the sorrow each poet feels recognizing their unaccomplished life goals as they are moving closer to death. However, their conclusions set them apart. By utilizing night imagery and diction of fear and hopelessness, Keats illustrates the meaningless nature of the speaker’s life. While Longfellow uses diction of regret and hope imagery to demonstrate the mornings of regrets. Both uses different rhyme schemes.

Many people fear death at the back of their mind, unconsciously dwelling over the surreal fact that they would have to come face to face with it some day, yet most do not bring themselves to explore it completely until it lurks in the corner or appears on their doorstep. The sonnet “And You as Well Must Die, Beloved Dust” and the dramatic monologue “Identification”, explores the concept of death and how each writer comes to grips with it. Both poems express reactions to the inevitable nature of death and the process of how one digests such a foreign, yet present occurrence. “Identification” is written by a wife who receives the news of her husband’s death and impulsively reasons as to why he simply could not have died. “And You as Well Must

Showing, that to him, existence and purpose is more important than any other distraction in life. Unfortunately, it seems to John Keats that life itself is the distraction. Constantly being obsessed with any aspect of life is an unhealthy way to live. The tone is identified immediately when Keats begins with a very common human fear, the fear of death. His sense of paranoia to premature death reinforces the central idea in that it reveals the authors personal struggles with the concept of life and death.

In “To Autumn”, the season autumn is depicted as death, or as the Grim Reaper. Autumn is, however, an unusual reaper figure, in that they are not merciless, but patient and calm. Interestingly enough, the point of view Keats offers about death, is non-violent, not corporeal, and only implicit in the poem, through metaphors. Almost all human components are removed from the poem, and death is symbolized by nature only. It is put into a context where it occurs in the course of nature, and pictured as a consequence of riches, abundance, and fulfilment.

In John Keats’ “Ode on Melancholy,” he writes on the relationship of the self and how one deals with Melancholy. There have been many different authors that have written about the topic of experiencing melancholy. Generally, writers talk about melancholy as a problem and wanting to escape it, or they discuss how one can remedy it. However, Keats takes a different approach and discusses an alternative way of looking at melancholy. On the surface, the poem talks about ways that one should not escape it, how one should deal with it, and ends with a conclusion on melancholy. The poem, when analyzed closer, shifts to a different meaning. Through Keats’ use of word choice, symbolism, and form, he discusses the relationship between appreciation

At one time or another, every person has experienced the beauty of summer. In this time of the year, nature is full of life, the weather is at its finest, and the paramount joys of life can be experienced to their fullest. Then the fall comes, the trees turn lovely shades of red and yellow, and the wind offers a nice chill breeze for relief. Unfortunately, seasons change and the beauty that people once experienced vanishes. People focusing only on the material and petty aspects of life, rather than the beauty around them, will let life pass them, missing out on the true wonders of the world. In his poem “To Autumn,” John Keats utilizes imagery to express the importance of indulging in the beauties of nature, while alive, because humans are mortal beings bound by the limits of time.