Keats: On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again Flashcards

1
Q

Form

A

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

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2
Q

Date of writing

A

.1818. Not published by Keats.

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3
Q

Context

A

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.
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4
Q

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:

A

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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5
Q

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.

A
  • “Betwixt damnation and impassioned clay”- Existential crisis of Hamlet.
  • “bitter-sweet”- catharsis
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6
Q

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.

A
  • “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.
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