How Greek Poetry and Literature Shaped John Keats’s Works

To celebrate the birthday of John Keats today, lets take a look at how his works were shaped by Greek poetry and literature. John Keats (1795-1821) was one of the most prominent poets of the English Romantic movement, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. He is best known for his odes, such as “Ode to a Nightingale” and “Ode on a Grecian Urn”, that are notable for their vivid imagery, sensuous appeal, and philosophical aspirations. Keats’s poetry was influenced by various sources, but one of the most significant was the ancient Greek poetry and literature that he admired and studied since his childhood.

Keats had a liberal education at the Enfield Academy, where he developed an interest in classics and history. Keats was introduced to Greek literature and culture by his schoolmaster, Charles Cowden Clarke. Clarke was a scholar of Greek literature and history, and he passed on his love for the classics to Keats. Keats’ interest in Greek mythology and culture stayed with him throughout his life. He was particularly fond of the works of Homer, the epic poet who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, two of the oldest and most influential works in Western literature. Keats read Homer in George Chapman’s translation, which he praised for its freshness and vigor. In his sonnet “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer”, Keats expressed his awe and excitement at discovering Homer’s world through Chapman’s words:

Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold, And many goodly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have I been Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. Oft of one wide expanse had I been told That deep-brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne; Yet did I never breathe its pure serene Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold: Then felt I like some watcher of the skies When a new planet swims into his ken; Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes He star’d at the Pacific—and all his men Look’d at each other with a wild surmise— Silent, upon a peak in Darien

Keats also admired the lyric poetry of the Greek poets, such as Sappho, Pindar, and Anacreon, who wrote short poems on various themes, such as love, nature, friendship, and celebration. Keats borrowed some of their forms and techniques, such as the use of stanzas, rhyme schemes, metaphors, and apostrophes. He also imitated their musicality and emotional intensity, as well as their ability to capture a moment of beauty or joy. For example, in his “Ode to a Nightingale”, Keats addressed the bird as a symbol of immortal art and contrasted it with his own mortality and suffering.

Keats was also influenced by the Greek literature that dealt with mythology, philosophy, and history. He was fascinated by the stories of gods and heroes, such as Apollo, Diana, Endymion, Hyperion, Psyche, and Leda. He used them as sources of inspiration and allegory for his own poetic vision and imagination. He also explored the themes of beauty, truth, love, art, nature, and mortality that were central to the Greek thought. He often referred to the works of Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, and other Greek philosophers who shaped the Western intellectual tradition. He also admired the works of Herodotus, Thucydides, Plutarch, and other Greek historians who recorded the events and characters of their times.

One of the most striking examples of Keats’s engagement with Greek literature is his “Ode on a Grecian Urn”, in which he described an ancient vase decorated with scenes from Greek life and art. He writes about the “viewless wings of Poesy” and how they can transport him to “the dull brain perplexes and retards.” This idea of poetry as a means of escape is a common theme in Greek poetry, particularly in the works of Homer.

In “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” Keats explores the idea of art as a means of capturing beauty and preserving it for eternity. The urn itself is a symbol of Greek art, and Keats uses it to explore the themes of beauty, love, and mortality. The poem is also notable for its use of Greek mythology, particularly the story of the lovers depicted on the urn.

John Keats’s fascination with Greek mythology is also evident in his other works. In “Hyperion,” Keats retells the story of the Titans from Greek mythology. The poem explores themes of power, rebellion, and mortality, all of which are central to Greek mythology.

However, Keats’s admiration for Greek poetry and literature was not uncritical or blind. He also recognized the difference and distance between his own historical and cultural context and that of the ancient Greeks. He did not idealize or romanticize the past, but rather tried to learn from it and relate it to his own experience and sensibility. He was not a mere imitator or follower of the Greek tradition, but a creative and original poet who transformed and enriched it with his own genius and vision.

Keats’s influence by Greek poetry and literature was not only a matter of personal taste or preference, but also a reflection of his broader literary and cultural milieu. The 18th and 19th centuries witnessed a revival of interest in classical antiquity, especially in Britain and France, where many scholars, artists, writers, and travelers studied, collected, translated, and imitated the works of ancient Greece and Rome. This movement, known as neoclassicism or classicism, was partly a reaction against the excesses and corruptions of the modern world, and partly a search for the origins and ideals of Western civilization. Keats was part of this movement, but he also transcended it by developing his own distinctive style and voice that made him one of the most original and influential poets in English literature.

In conclusion, John Keats was heavily influenced by Greek poetry and literature. His fascination with Greek mythology and culture is evident in his works, particularly in his odes. Keats’ works are a testament to the enduring influence of Greek literature on Western culture.

The 2009 Oscar-nominated movie Bright Star (trailer below), tells the love story between John Keats and Fanny Brawne near the end of his life. It is featured in our book, Greece at the Oscars (available on all Amazon stores).