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John Keats

John Keats. Keats – Biographical information. Born – Moorefield, London, in 1795 8 years old – father passed away 14 years old – mother died of tuberculosis Keats found comfort in literature and art Originally trained to be a medic Eventually gave this up for a writing career

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John Keats

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  1. John Keats

  2. Keats – Biographical information • Born – Moorefield, London, in 1795 • 8 years old – father passed away • 14 years old – mother died of tuberculosis • Keats found comfort in literature and art • Originally trained to be a medic • Eventually gave this up for a writing career • Blighted by ill health • Moved to Rome • Eventually succumbed to tuberculosis himself, aged 25

  3. Context – The French Revolution (1789) • End of ancien regime in France • Across Europe – end of feudal systems • Most violent and universally significant of revolutions • Bourgeoisie aspired to political power • Peasants wanted improved standards of living

  4. Age of Reason • Also included the shorter time period ‘The Age of Enlightenment’ • Reason, rationality and enlightenment became the new ‘gods’ • New age – rather than received communication from God, man felt obligated to follow his own intellect, rather than revealed ‘truth’ Age of Enlightenment • European intellectual movement of the C17th/C18th • Ideas concerning God, reason, nature and humanity influenced art, philosophy and politics • Reason = power by which humans understand the universe and improve their own condition • Method of reason eventually is eventually applied to religion itself – it brought about scepticism, atheism and materialism

  5. Romanticism • Refers to attitude and intellectual orientation • Characterised works of literature, painting, music, architecture, criticism • C18th/C19th • Rejection of the precepts of order, calm, harmony, balance, idealisation and rationality that typified Classicism • Reaction against enlightenment and rationalism • Emphasised the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary and the transcendental. • New appreciation of medieval romance • Overtly emotional

  6. La Belle Dame Sans Merci • Listen to this reading • Make notes on the structure of the poem, rhyme scheme, and your response to it. • Some musicians have even put the poem to music: • Clip 1 • Clip 2 • What kind of narrator is this? • Is the narrator involved in the story? How? • Why do you think Keats chose to include this type of narrator?

  7. Answer the questions on page 23 of your booklet • Be prepared to feed back to the rest of the class.

  8. Choose three quotes from the poem which show examples of Keats’ use of imagery • Mind map each quote you have chosen • Comment on use of language and structure • Think about how your quotes could reveal aspects of tragedy ‘I saw pale kings and princes too, Pale warriors, death-pale were they all; They cried – ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci Hath thee in thrall!’

  9. Now, use your notes to respond to the question: To what extent can La Belle Dame Sans Merci be considered as ‘tragic’? Focus only on AO1 and AO2 here.

  10. Peer Assessment • AO2 – requires students to analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with particular focus on the structures of texts as a form of shaping. • Band 3 – straightforward understanding of authorial methods and relevant engagement with how meanings are shaped • Band 4 – thorough understanding of authorial methods and thorough engagement with how meanings are shaped • Band 5 – perceptive understanding of authorial methods and assured engagement with how meanings are shaped

  11. The Eve of St Agnes • Reading introduced by Andrew Motion • St Agnes’ Eve: The title comes from the day (or evening) before the feast of Saint Agnes (or St. Agnes' Eve) • St. Agnes, the patron saint of virgins, died a martyr in 4th century Rome (304 AD) • The eve falls on 20 January; the feast day on the 21st • St Agnes is often pictured with a lamb, which symbolises her innocence.

  12. Discuss and make notes on: • Structure • What happens in each stanza? (narrative) • How Keats begins this ‘tragic’ poem – how does he set the scene? • Are there any characters introduced? What is suggested about them? • Which narrative methods and poetic techniques are used? • What do you think is most significant about the language?

  13. Narrative and characters • Annotate the poem on the left side to show the narrative and the introduction of key characters. • Underline/highlight any words/phrases that you think hold particular significance. • Make brief notes on meaning as you go along

  14. The Eve of St Agnes - Characterisation In groups focus on a given character: • Angela • Porphyro • Madeline Make notes on: • Where/how they enter (with links to setting/description) • The role they play in the narrative • Keats’ depiction of them (analyse) • Can you link this character/descriptions of them to any aspects of tragedy? Extension There are many gothic elements in this poem. Identify some of them and comment on their significance.

  15. Analysis – Language and Structure • Read through the poem and annotate the following key stanzas. Make notes on structure, sound and symbolism. Try to use terminology linked to tragedy: I – ‘St Agnes Eve…..prayer he saith’ IX – ‘So, purposing each….things have been’ XXV – ‘Full on this casement….from mortal taint.’ XXXIV – ‘Her eyes were open….so dreamingly’ XLI – ‘They glide, like phantoms….its hinges groan.’

  16. Key Debates • Thematically, the poem can be seen as structured around a series of oppositions • Most central is the opposition between dream and reality • World of young lovers could be seen as a dream world – not based in any kind of reality • Is the poem a celebration or an ironic critique of idealistic young love?

  17. Are the two distinct desires resolved?To answer this we need to consider Porphyro’s intentions… Madeline Porphyro Desires to gaze upon the actual form of Madeline and, perhaps, even to experience a physical consummation • Desires a vision of her lover and a dream of consummation

  18. ‘Tragic heroes are always flawed. They suffer and cause suffering to others.’ To what extent do you agree with this view in relation to The Eve of St Agnes? • First – consider the key words in the question • Tragic hero • flawed • suffer • Cause suffering

  19. Jot down your key ideas… In what ways does Keats suggest Porphyro suffers? How does Keats imply that Porphyro causes suffering to others?

  20. ‘Tragic heroes are always flawed. They suffer and cause suffering to others.’ To what extent do you agree with this view in relation to The Eve of St Agnes? Write an introduction to include the following: • Aristotle’s view – definition of a tragic hero • Your understanding of the key terms: • Flawed • Suffering • Give a clear indication of where you stand – to what extent do you agree?

  21. ‘Isabella’ • Use the worksheet to establish the order of the plot structure. • Discuss in groups to make sure you have the events in the right order. Extension: How might this poem be identified as a tragedy? Make notes on key features.

  22. Isabella or The Pot of Basil Look closely at stanzas 1-6 and consider: • What mood is established and how? • Can you identify a specific semantic field and its significance? Stanzas 14-22: • Explore the language used to present the brothers as villains • Keats reveals to us their plot to ‘kill Lorenzo, and there bury him’. Outline what their reasons are for this drastic decision.

  23. Isabella or The Pot of Basil Look at stanzas 34 – 41 • How is Lorenzo described by Keats here? • What is your interpretation of events? • Can you link any of this section of the narrative to aspects of tragedy? Extension task: • Can you identify any gothic features in this section?

  24. Isabella or The Pot of Basil Stanzas 42-50 • Annotate the language here and write notes on meaning and how you respond to this section of the poem. • The gruesome image of Isabel digging the grave, then decapitating Lorenzo’s head from the corpse whilst being watched over by an ‘aged dame’ creates feelings of revulsion, horror and pity in the reader. Do you think this is what Keats intended?

  25. ‘Isabella’ • Task – on each table is a set of blue cards • In groups, discuss what evidence you can find for each idea • Make notes/mind map Extension: Use the yellow cards to make links/find examples of methods used by Keats.

  26. Isabella – Key Events • Stanza I • Stanzas VIII and IX • Stanza XXVIII • Stanza XLI • Stanza L • Stanza LX and LXIII • In your groups, focus on the stanza you are given. Discuss its significance in the narrative and decide if there are any tragic elements present in it.

  27. Explore the view that love, pain and suffering are central to the poem’s success. • Write notes on this idea • Choose quotes which link to each of the three key terms – love, pain, and suffering • How is each of these ideas directly linked to tragedy? • Write an introduction in answer to this question.

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