John Keats + Tragedy.

[middle92]

Hi, I need some help in that I need to identify any poety of John Keats that could be defined as 'tragedy'. I know he did write tragedies but I was wondering if anyone knew of any of his poetry that had a tragic theme or involved some sort of tragedy?

[Wendy M]

The Poem "On Sitting Down To Read KING LEAR Once Again" by John Keats

This is a sonnet about Keat's relationship with the drama that became his idea of tragic perfection, relates to struggl with the issues of life and premature death. If you look up on Google you will find full depth of this poem.

Also his letter to Fanny Brawne were of Tragic love story, ending in his death,

[Alexander III]

When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high piled books, in charact'ry,
Hold like rich garners the full-ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love!—then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.

I think this is a rather tragic poem of his, especially the final couplet, tragic in a solemn sense.

[Wendy M]

Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.


Final couplet is tragic I agree...

His desire to sink into nothingness, he will either have to die or leave it behind. (Fearing he might die before he has fullfilled his potential as a poet). And so he realizes that when he dies the magic power of writing poetry may die with him. (Poem is about fear and death) Tragic.

Great Choice.

[middle92]

what about Lamia, le belle sans merci, and ode to a nightingale?

[Sienna]

La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Ode to Melancholy
Quite a lot of his work actually