In the introduction, it describes John Keats as one who desires the unattainable things. As I read I saw that to be the recurring theme in his works, but even more, I saw much of our current society in the things he described. I especially saw parallels between his writing and the writing of our entertainment today – music and movies. I saw a desire to be someone else (Bright Star) and almost jealousy. There were pictures of love and a love that you can’t have (La Belle Dame sans Merci). You have instances of sarcasm and satire which is what I feel he brings out in the third stanza of Ode on a Grecian Urn. Even a want of an escape from this world, “I have been half in love with easeful death” as stated in Ode to Nightingale. This to me was just proof that even though the times have changed and the writers use different language and possibly a different medium to communicate their message, the heart of the writers – and ultimately people as a whole – is the same. People haven’t changed that much in the years separating us.
p.s. I commented on Kaylie’s post “Nothing Gold Can Stay. oh and O.o”
As I was reading your blog it made me think back to what the guy in MA was talking about today. I'm not really sure how or why but just go with it. It brought to mind the fact that those people on the "cutting edge" when it comes to theology and how to reach people are going back to what the older generation of Theologians were doing. They are looking back to to people like Wesley and Edwards. But the opposite side of that scope are those people who are reading the gospel according to Platt or the gospel according to Piper. I can only assume that people in Keats's day did the same thing. I don't know why but that's what I started thinking about when I was reading this blog.
ReplyDeleteI saw this parallel as well.. He creates these situations of must-haves that truth be known will never follow through. this is again a nice tool Keat uses to demonstrate his desire for the unattainable.
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