’s “When I Have Fears” Essay, Research Paper
In his English sonnet ?When I Have Fears? (pg. 17, Vendler), John Keats attempts to put into words the human emotions felt when dealing with death. I believe that Keats wrote this poem to describe the natural order of emotions he went through while thinking of his own mortality. The tone of the sonnet takes a ?roller coaster? course throughout the poem from one quatrain to the next. With careful examination one can see that Keats used the first quatrain to describe a state of utter confusion, the second to express a calm and bittersweet feeling, the third to describe a feeling of immense fear, and the final couplet to express a feeling of acceptance.
The first quatrain deals with the first of four emotions that Keats expresses throughout the sonnet. The first line, ?When I have fears that I may cease to be? (pg. 17, Vendler) immediately tells the reader that this is a poem about John Keats? fear of death. The fact that he says, ?When I have fears?? leads me to believe that these fears are not an everyday experience, but a common occurrence that bothers him from time to time. It is also in this quatrain that Keats uses agricultural metaphors to describe his fears of death. In the second line, ?Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain,? (pg. 17, Vendler) we see the first of these metaphors with the use of the word ?gleaned.? If something is gleaned it implies that it is being raked, scraped, or sorted with some kind of farming or gardening tool. The other important word in this second line is ?teeming?, which is synonymous to swarming, packed, or crowded. When Keats describes his ?teeming brain,? one can imagine millions of thoughts and fears running rampant throughout his mind, leaving him in a state of utter confusion. This entire second line is intended to tell us that by writing this sonnet, Keats is ?raking? or sorting all of the fears that have cluttered his mind.
The third line of the sonnet also supports the notion that Keats was overloaded with dread and perplexity. ?Before high-pil?d books, in charact?ry,? (pg. 17, Vendler) is another metaphor of a cluttered desk that directly relates to the unbalance of emotions and thoughts that arise when he thinks of death. In the fourth line, ?Hold like rich garners the full-ripened grain;? (pg. 17, Vendler) Keats once again returns the agricultural metaphor. Garners are the large storage facilities on farms that hold large quantities of grain before it is shipped off and sold. In this particular case I believe Keats used grain as a metaphor for human life. The grain had been tended to and nourished for some time, where it was then picked and killed by the farmers, and placed into a garner. It is possible that Keats intended the garner to be a metaphor for a cemetery or something that lies beyond the life of the individual. Keats? genius can be seen through his agricultural metaphors, as both individual life and farming follow a vicious cycle that cannot go unbroken. Humans, much like crops, come from the earth and in time we return to the earth. It is an inescapable aspect of all living beings.
With the beginning of the second quatrain, the reader experiences the first change of tone. The fifth line reads, ?When I behold, upon the night?s starred face,? (pg. 17, Vendler) which is an enormous transition from a cluttered and overflowing desk. It almost seems to say that he has ?gleaned? his mind with his pen, so to speak, and has calmed himself down a bit. He therefore uses the tranquil picture of a starry sky with large clouds to demonstrate his sudden change in mood. As the quatrain continues, he begins to express the notion that there may be many things that he won?t be able to do in his lifetime as shown in the seventh and eighth lines: ?And think that I may never live to trace?Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;? (pg. 17, Vendler). In these particular lines the reader doesn?t obtain the same sense of fear that was so greatly expressed in the first quatrain. If one were to draw out an ?emotional curve? of this poem, it would start with a dramatic increase throughout the first quatrain and then quickly drop down with the second quatrain, creating the ?roller coaster? effect mentioned earlier.
As that roller coaster continues on, it once again quickly rises with the third quatrain. The calm and serene Keats of the second quatrain quickly rediscovers his fears, and they almost seem to explode in this climactic third quatrain. It is as if all the fears that he was beginning to come to terms with catch up with Keats tenfold and send him into a state of sheer horror. As he states in lines ten and eleven, ?That I shall never look upon thee more, Never have relish in the faery power?Of unreflecting love!? (pg. 17, Vendler) This is similar to his emotions in the second quatrain concerning things he will not be able to do within his lifetime. The only difference is he seems far more regretful and fearful as opposed to the accepting nature Keats displayed in the second quatrain. Keats is in his own way saying, ?There is so much I want to do, and my life is too short for me to do all of these things!?
This roller coaster ride seems to quickly come to an end as the last couplet of the sonnet demonstrates Keats? fourth and final change in tone. The last two lines of the poem read, ?then on the shore Of the wide world I stand alone, and think Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.?(pg. 17, Vendler) This once again returns to the accepting nature that was seen in the second quatrain, only this time it appears that there will be no returning to his fearful state. Keats seems to be at peace with himself here, as he realizes that love and fame, virtues that many men hold dear to their hearts, mean nothing in the end as he stands alone to face his death.
The only question left to ask, is how does one explain Keats sudden changes in mood? I believe the answer is that there is no answer. Keats does a wonderful job expressing how the human mind works throughout his poem, ?When I Have Fears.? Sometimes when dwelling on one particular fear or idea, the mind can be sent on a roller coaster ride that climbs and falls from one emotion to the next. This, I believe, is the best and only way to describe the different emotions throughout the poem.
Vendler, Helen Poems ? Poets ? Poetry Keats, John ?When I Have Fears?
Другие работы по теме:
On The Bench Essay Research Paper In
?On The Bench? Essay, Research Paper In his essay, ?On The Bench?, Robert Parker shows the trials and tribulations of trying to be both mentally and physically strong. He writes about how horrible it is being thin and weak, and having to hold on to his wife?s arm when it is windy out. I hope that this essay was intended to be humorous, because it did in fact make me laugh.
Moby Dick Essay Essay Research Paper Moby
Moby Dick Essay Essay, Research Paper Moby Dick Essay Throughout time, people have associated their problems with with something bad that happened to them. That thing became the center of their problems by causing a lot of suffering to that person. In Moby Dick, Melville has many interpretations of what the white whale symbolizes.
Reasons For Undertaking A Project On Land
Essay, Research Paper The reason that I decided to undertake this particular project was that I live on a farm and with doing so I had a rather broad spectrum of things I could do on the land, but nothing else interested me as
Romeo An Juliet Essay Research Paper hi
Romeo An Juliet Essay, Research Paper hi i need an essay about a character in romeo and juliet that demonsrtated maturity. in a well developed multi pagraph essay and say why you think the character’s maturity was greater than the other characters in the play.
The Death Penalty 11 Essay Research Paper
The Penalty of Death In this essay, H.L. Mencken has two arguments that stand out in the beginning of this essay. These arguments are against the penalty of death, although his essay is in a way, for it. The first one is, That hanging a man (or frying him or gassing him) is a dreadful business, degrading to those who have to do it and revolting to those who have to witness it . (Mencken 455).
April Morning Essay Essay Research Paper I
April Morning Essay Essay, Research Paper I think that some of the reasoning behind Moses Cooper letting Adam fight in the war was that Adam was no longer a small child like his brother
A Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy
Forever. How Far Does Keats Go To Commuicate This Belief Essay, Research Paper `A thing of beauty is a joy forever`. How far and in what ways does Keats communicate this belief in his odes.
Oh Really Essay Research Paper Oh Reallyyou
Oh Really? Essay, Research Paper Oh Really, you think i am a lark, the dogs they run and bark, but when i say to them, shut up shut up shut up, you say to be nice to them,
Poems 2
Poems – Bright Star And Choose Something Like A St Essay, Research Paper Poems Contrasted “Bright Star” and “Choose Something Like a Star” are two poems very different in form and theme. The theme in “Bright Star” is that when in love nothing is more beautiful than your lover. While the theme of “Choose Something Like a Star” is that humans need to be individuals.
ROTC Entrence Essay Essay Research Paper entrance
ROTC Entrence Essay Essay, Research Paper entrance essay For almost as long as I cn remember, I have been interested in th military. Influenced by such movies as “Patton”, and by my dad’s interest in military history, my
Seregas Essay Essay Research Paper The life
Seregas Essay Essay, Research Paper The life stories of many today s New Yorkers are amazingly similar and different at the same time. For those of us who can call New York our new home, the choice to move to this city has certainly been one of the most important decisions of our lives. Whether or not we came from fifty or five thousand miles away, the hopes for success and brighter future were the sources of our motivation.
Comparitive Essay Essay Research Paper There are
Comparitive Essay Essay, Research Paper There are many stories of survival. When I think of survival I think of two things, The movie, Never Cry Wolf, and the story, When the Legends Die. These two are stories of men who survived in the wild after many obtacles. They were both very different but they were still the same.
Ode To Grecian Urn Essay Research Paper
A Critical Analysis- John Keats, “Ode on a Grecian Urn” The Romantic Period introduced a variety of writing styles. The authors of the early eighteenth century altered many of the earlier romantic pieces. The early writers
Essay Writing Essay Research Paper email 7cdgqlinkqueensucaEssay
Essay Writing Essay, Research Paper email: 7cdg@qlink.queensu.caEssay Writing An essay is a literary composition. The purpose of a good formal essay is to try out an idea, thesis, or opinion, within the confines of a proper literary composition. To do this successfully one must know their topic, formulate a thesis, and finally write the essay.
Enfluening OF Music Essay Research Paper This
Enfluening OF Music Essay, Research Paper This Essay is about how music can influence the emotions and effects of a person. I will be giving you precentages. I will also be giving you quotes of students
Poem She Sat Essay Research Paper She
Poem: She Sat Essay, Research Paper She sat… helpless in her room praying to whatever god there may be to let her call to him. could god ignore such a painful cry?
John Keats Essay Research Paper John Keat
John Keats Essay, Research Paper John Keat s poems, On First Looking into Chapman s Homer, and On Seeing the Elgin Marbles for the First Time, express an irresistible, poetical imagination. They convey a sense of atmosphere to the
An Example Of Good Writing Zinsser
’s “Simplicity” Essay, Research Paper An Example Of Good Writing: Zinsser’s “Simplicity” Zinsser’s essay on Simplicity is an example of good writing for many
Keat And Shelley Essay Research Paper In
Keat And Shelley Essay, Research Paper In Keat?s "Ode to a Nightingale" and Shelley?s "Ode to the West Wind" both poet?s show much inspiration within their poetry. The
Comparison Essay Of Isadora And Art And
Isadora Essay, Research Paper Isadora Duncan It is always amazing to see how two different writers can use different techniques and writing styles to write about the same subject. Janet Flanner and John Dos Passo both
Miller Spring Essay Essay Research Paper Miller
Miller Spring Essay Essay, Research Paper Miller Springs Essay My science class and I went to Miller Springs to learn about sediments and nature a few days ago. The good and bad sides of the trip I will explain below.
Writing Techniques Essay Research Paper Writing TechniquesAfter
Writing Techniques Essay, Research Paper Writing Techniques After reading Katha Pollitt?s essay ?It Takes Two: A Modest Proposal for Holding Fathers Equally Accountable? and Patricia Mainardi?s essay ?The Politics of Housework?, several writing techniques become apparent in both essays.
Persuasive Essay Essay Research Paper Persuasive Essay
Persuasive Essay Essay, Research Paper Persuasive Essay Driving is a tremendous responsibility. I believe our state should have rigorous driving tests to make the roads safe for others. However I think most teenagers aren’t ready to accept
John Keats Romantism Essay Research Paper Identify
John Keat`s Romantism Essay, Research Paper Identify and discuss the elements of Romanticism as given expression in John Keats’ poem Lamia and William Wordsworth’s excerpt from The Excursion. The term
Dare Essay Essay Research Paper What DARE
Dare Essay Essay, Research Paper What D.A.R.E Means To Me Dare has prepared me to say no to drugs in eight different ways. If anyone asks me to do drugs I will know what to do, such as- just ignoring the person or just
Great Gatsby Essay Essay Research Paper The
Great Gatsby Essay Essay, Research Paper The Great Gatsby Essay In The Great Gatsby, there are three illicit relationships: Gatsby and Daisy, Nick and Jordan, and Tom and Myrtle. In some ways they are similar, and in some ways each is unique. In this essay, I will compare and examine each of the couples, and try to give some insight as to why none of the relationships worked out.
Gun Control Essay Research Paper Gun EssayShould
Gun Control Essay, Research Paper Gun Essay Should we really just keep adding gun control laws? Well, I don’t think so. I think that Senator Larry E. Craig said it best “the criminal that wasn’t stopped by 20,000 laws won’t stop at 20,001.“ My viewpoint is that we should have better law enforcemnt.
How To Writing A Research Essay Essay
, Research Paper How To Writing A Research Essay The toughest part of the essay, for me, was taking all the information I had gained and reduce it to a mere few pages essay. After all, quality is better