On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again

Context

• Written in 1818, a significant year for Keats as he was transitioning from lighter, romantic poetry to tackling more profound and complex themes.

• Reflects Keats' reverence for Shakespeare and his desire to engage deeply with literary classics.

• Composed during a period of personal and professional development, illustrating his commitment to serious literature.

  

• Keats was grappling with the illness of his brother Tom and his uncertain future, adding a layer of introspection and earnestness to his work.

Structure and Form

• Petrarchan Sonnet with a hybrid structure.
• Rhyme scheme: ABBA ABBA CDCD EE.
  • Changes from a Petrarchan to a Shakespearean.
• Written in iambic pentameter.
• The octave expresses a farewell to lighter, romantic themes and a turn towards the serious and profound.
• The sestet, including the final couplet, focuses on Keats' aspirations and the transformative power of engaging with Shakespeare's work.

Key Themes

Transition

• "Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute"
• This reflects Keats' farewell to lighter, romantic poetry as he transitions to serious literary themes.
• The "fierce dispute" represents the inner conflict and emotional depth he seeks in Shakespeare's work.

Intellectual Aspiration

• "Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion"
• Acknowledges Shakespeare as a literary master and England as the birthplace of profound literary themes.
• Demonstrates Keats' aspiration to connect with and contribute to this rich tradition.
• Keats' literary and imaginative experiences are ritualised and memorialised in the act of writing sonnets, like Shakespeare.

Nature and Imagination

• "When through the old oak forest I am gone"
• Uses nature as a metaphor for exploring the depths of imagination and literary heritage.
• Reflects the Romantic ideal of nature as a source of wisdom and inspiration.

Rebirth and Renewal

• "Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire."
• Invokes the mythological Phoenix, symbolizing rebirth and renewal.
• Indicates Keats' desire for rejuvenation and inspiration through literary engagement.

Emotional Intensity

• "Must I burn through; once more humbly assay"
• Emphasizes the intense emotional and intellectual engagement required to grapple with Shakespeare's themes.
• Reflects Keats' Romantic belief in the value of passionate, consuming experiences.

Similar Poems

• "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer": Both poems explore the profound experiences of literary discovery and the transformative impact of great works of literature.
• "Ode to a Nightingale": Shares themes of transcendence and the desire to escape from reality through art and imagination.
• "Ode on Melancholy": Reflects on the interplay between joy and sorrow and the depth of human emotions, similar to the profound engagement with Shakespeare's themes.

Line by Line Analysis

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.

"O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute!"

• The personification of Romance, attributing it with a "golden tongue" and a "serene lute."
  • Musical semantics of "lute".
• Suggests the allure and sweetness of lighter romantic poetry, now being set aside.

"Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away!"

• Continues the personification with imagery of a "plumed Syren," symbolizing enchanting, otherworldly beauty.
  • Syren are mythical creatures who sing to bring sailors to their deaths.
  • Dangerous seduction that's superficial.
• "Queen of far away" implies an ethereal, unattainable quality.

"Leave melodizing on this wintry day,"

• Urges Romance to cease its enchanting songs.
• "Wintry day" suggests a time of seriousness and introspection, contrasting with the warmth and lightness of romantic themes.
  • Has connotations of death and ending.

"Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute:"

• Commands Romance to close its pages and fall silent.
  • Rejecting escapism with a forceful and aggressive tone.
• Indicates a turning away from past literary preoccupations.
• The imperative verb of "be mute" is commanding.

"Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute,"

• "Adieu" signifies a farewell to romantic themes.
• "Fierce dispute" refers to the intense emotional and intellectual engagement with Shakespeare's work.
• Keats' mother had just died of consumption as he wrote this.
  • He wants to consume himself with tragedy rather than romance.

"Betwixt damnation and impassion'd clay"

• Describes the struggle between moral judgment and passionate humanity.
• "impassion'd clay" is an oxymoron used to describe Humans.
  • Represents the complex themes in 'King Lear'.
  • Pessimistic view of human nature.

"Must I burn through; once more humbly assay"

• "Burn through" suggests a transformative, consuming process.
• "Humbly assay" indicates a respectful, earnest attempt to engage with Shakespeare's profound themes.

"The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit."

• "Bitter-sweet" captures the complex emotions evoked by Shakespeare's work, especially 'King Lear'.
• "Shakespearian fruit" symbolizes the rich, multifaceted nature of his literature.
  • Keats suggests that there is more emotion and passion in tragedies than in romance.

"Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion,"

• Addresses Shakespeare as the "Chief Poet."
• "Clouds of Albion" refers to England, invoking the land's literary heritage.

"Begetters of our deep eternal theme,"

• Acknowledges the enduring themes birthed by England's literary tradition.
• "Deep eternal theme" implies timeless, universal subjects explored by Shakespeare.

"When through the old oak forest I am gone,"

• Metaphorically describes entering the world of Shakespeare's literature as venturing into an ancient forest.
• "Old oak forest" suggests wisdom, longevity, and England.

"Let me not wander in a barren dream,"

• Expresses a desire for meaningful engagement rather than aimless wandering.
• "Barren dream" implies unproductive or empty contemplation.

"But when I am consumed in the fire,"

• The rhyming couplet at the end escapes the "barren dream".
  • Syllabic overload in the last two lines of the poem could symbolise the creation Poets wishes to have.
• Shift in the tone of the poem, becomes more hopeful.
• "Consumed in the fire" suggests total immersion and transformation through intense intellectual and emotional engagement.
  • The simile that represents the re-reading of 'King Lear'.
• Reflects the Romantic ideal of passionate, consuming experiences.

"Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire."

• "Give me" as an imperative verb suggests he is desperately inspired to write.
• Invokes the mythological Phoenix, symbolizing rebirth and renewal.
• "New Phoenix wings" signifies a desire for rejuvenation and inspiration through literature.
• Keats wants to attack his desire to escape from reality.