Keats: On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again

Question 1

Form

Answer 1

Petrarchan sonnet
Octet: ABBA ABBA
Sestet: CDCDEE
Iambic Pentameter- nb last line as an exception!

Question 2

Date of writing

Answer 2

.1818. Not published by Keats.

Question 3

Context

Answer 3

King Lear was banned on stage at the time of writing due to the emotive end scene. The writer Nahum Tate rewrote the end scenes to be happier.
- Keats READ Shakespeare’s original version, valuing the play’s unflinching depiction of human suffering.

• The play itself is a tragedy & deals with questions regarding human existence.

Question 4

1st half of octet

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:

Answer 4

Begins with an apostrophe to a spirit of artistic inspiration- only to quieten her. Shows Keat’s power as the reader.
- “Romance”- an allusion to 16th century literature. LINK here to context.
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Question 5

2nd half of octet

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 Shaksperean fruit.

Answer 5

• “Betwixt damnation and impassioned clay”- Existential crisis of Hamlet.
• “bitter-sweet”- catharsis

Question 6

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.

Answer 6

• “Albion”- archaic poetic term for England
• “phoenix”- Keats wants to be reborn from the challenge of reading this text.
• “deep eternal”- Worthy of respect: deals with serious themes.
• “my desire”- he gains power through the reading.