Planning to be an apothecary-surgeon and studying medicine in a London hospital, John Keats was destined to be one of the finest and most popular Romantic age English poet.
His earliest writings were sonnets “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” and “O Solitude.” His first volume, Poems by John Keats, was published in 1817. Next year, Endymion, a four-thousand-line erotic/allegorical romance based on the Greek myth was published. Critical magazines of the time reviewed it as “the Cockney school of poetry,” and that led Keats into a state of depression and time away from poetry writing.
In July 1820, he published his most popular volume of poetry, Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems. The three title poems, dealing with mythical and legendary themes of ancient, mediaeval, and Renaissance times, are rich in imagery and lyrical writing. (adapted from poetsociety site )
The Eve of St. Agnes is a Romantic era narrative poem of 42 Spenserian stanzas set in the Middle Ages. It was published in 1820.
The poem touches on themes of dramatic love, danger and dreams.
Two lovers, Madeline and Porphyro, come from two rival families. Porphyro, a nobleman,sneaks into the castle of his enemies. He is madly in love with the beautiful Madeline. He wants to see her and meet her. His love is more passionate and sexual than stable. Madeline now portrays the mythical nature of the poem where she is performing a magical ritual that night. She calls and prays to St. Agnes to send her a dream of her future husband. Porphyro overhears that and decides to trick her dream into a reality.
This poem explores the power of sexual passion and the dangerous path fantasy can take and shows how death and mortality is part of the human life.
6th stanza of the poem -
6th stanza of the poem -
They told her how, upon St. Agnes' Eve,
Young virgins might have visions of delight,
And soft adorings from their loves receive
Upon the honey'd middle of the night,
If ceremonies due they did aright;
As, supperless to bed they must retire,
And couch supine their beauties, lily white;
Nor look behind, nor sideways, but require
Of Heaven with upward eyes for all that they desire.
The context of St Agnes -
St Agnes was the Patron Saint of virgins, rape victims, young women and engaged couples. St Agnes’ feast day is January 20th and the myth of “St Agnes’ Eve” is a story that says that a young girl, or an unmarried woman, will dream of her future husband on the Eve of St Agnes. Before the end of the night, they perform rituals to ensure that they dream of their partner.
Image - Published in 1900 - Fletcher Seymour (Artist & Designer; 1876-1966).
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