Study Notes on John Keats and his Poetic Context

Title and Background:
  - "Budget on the Sea" is noted as the earliest poem by John Keats from the discussed set of poems.
  - Written in April 1817 while Keats stayed at Carricksbrook on the Isle of Wight.
  - This location held personal significance as it is where Keats began reading Shakespeare in detail.
Poetic Response:
- The poem is identified as a response to a haunting line from Shakespeare's "King Lear": "do you not hear the sea?"
- This line comes from a moment in the play where a blind character is misled into thinking he is near a cliff by the sea.
Shakespeare as a Natural Force:
- Keats perceives the power of Shakespeare's poetry as comparable to the force of nature.
- Refers to Shakespeare as a strong influence, highlighting a bond between his poetic expression and external nature.

Letter to Benjamin Bailey (March 1818):
- Keats describes the existence of celestial bodies and Shakespeare's passages as having elemental reality.
Personal Symbolism:
- Keats received a mezzotint portrait of Shakespeare from his landlady and placed it above his writing desk; this symbolizes inspiration and connection to Shakespeare.
Shakespeare's Role:
- Described by Keats as a "presider," suggesting a patron-like influence on his own literary craft.

Historical Context:
- A resurgence in admiration for Shakespeare takes place around the early 19th century, contrasting with earlier neglect in the 18th century.
- Admiration borders on idolatry, referred to as "bardolatry" (the term coins Shakespeare worship) according to Jonathan Bates.
Romantics' Attitude:
  - English Romantics did not formalize a Romanticism theory but defined their approach against the cold rationalism of the 18th century.
  - They valued emotionally charged expressions and favored themes of inner and outer storms (e.g., nature's turbulent phenomena).
  - Sublime elements in nature such as storms and vast seas evoke a mix of terror and awe, as discussed in the context of Romanticism.

Sublime Awareness:
- The sublime is characterized as anything that invokes feelings of smallness, vulnerability, and fear in the face of nature's grandeur.
- Edmund Burke’s treatise suggests that anything that incites ideas of pain and danger is a source of the sublime.
Examples of Sublime:
- Visual representation of nature that portrays overwhelming power and beauty, influencing human emotions deeply.

Language Exploration:
  - The poem emphasizes the sea's eternal whisperings, highlighting its vastness and capacity.
  - Use of hyperbole in "twice 10,000 caverns" to underscore the sea's immensity.
  - The human experience is mirrored in the verbs “swell” and “glut,” which evoke emotional depth alongside existential contemplation.
Connection with King Lear:
- Keats’s engagement with Shakespeare’s exploration of emotional turmoil resonates deeply with Romantic sensibilities.

Contrast with 18th Century Views:
- Nature in the 18th century was viewed as orderly and controlled, while Romanticism embraced chaotic, emotional representations.
- Visual contrasts between 18th-century landscapes and Romantic interpretations of nature, showcasing a fundamental shift in perception.

Keats's Hardships:
  - By 1819, Keats faced significant personal challenges, including the loss of family and his precarious financial circumstances.
  - His health was deteriorating, potentially from tuberculosis, which complicated his life and romantic aspirations with Fanny Brawne.
  - The hardships inform the emotional depth in his poetry, particularly the odes composed during this time.

Historical Output:
- Keats wrote five odes in spring 1819, a period characterized by intense creativity.
- Odes reflect both beauty and thematic depth—examining life’s contradictions and emotional complexities.
Innovative Structure of Odes:
- Keats sought to adapt and innovate poetic forms, moving beyond traditional sonnets looking for greater depth and scope in his odes.
- The odes maintain a rhythmic and structured format, which also reflects Keats's attempt at creating harmony between emotions and poetic expression.

"Ode on a Grecian Urn" Overview:
- The urn symbolizes the intersection between beauty and temporality, encouraging reflection on art’s ability to capture moments of life permanently.
- Keats employs ekphrasis in reflecting on scenes depicted on the urn, illustrating the merging of art and audience experience.
Key Themes in Odes:
- Immutability of beauty versus the transient nature of human experiences such as love and death.
- Exploration of desire and unattainable ideals manifested through female presences relating to beauty and nature.
Conclusion and Philosophical Reflections:
- End of the odes often raises questions regarding the essence of beauty and truth, leading to philosophical inquiries about their intertwined nature.
- Keats’s personal struggles with love and mortality echo through his representations of beauty, often depicting an ideal that eludes fulfillment.

Literature and Art Influences:
- Noting parallels between artistic representations (like Claude Lorraine) and Keats's odes demonstrates how his literary creativity is tied to broader cultural contexts.
- Interaction with Romantic symbolism and themes drawn from mythology and personal experience curated in the odes to enhance their depth.
Impact of Critical Reception:
- Early critical reception often reflected class and cultural biases against Keats as a Cockney poet, contrasting him with the elite backgrounds of other contemporaries.

Legacy and Influence of Keats:
- Keats's odes cement his position as a pivotal figure in English literature, encapsulating the shifts in poetic expression and emotional depth reflective of the Romantic era.
- His works continue to inspire and provoke thought around the nature of beauty, truth, and human experience, leaving a lasting legacy in the literary canon.