John Keats Quotes

Poet

John Keats, a British Romantic poet, was born on October 31, 1795, and died on February 23, 1821. Known for his profound depictions of nature, love, and death, Keats' poetry is characterized by its fresh style and sincere emotion, exerting a profound influence on poets of later generations.

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Famous John Keats Quotes

“My friends should drink a dozen of Claret on my Tomb.”

Should Friendship Drink My Friends Dozen Tombs Claret

Author:John Keats

“Health is the greatest of blessings - with health and hope we should be content to live.”

Should Blessing

Book:Delphi Complete Works of John Keats (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of John Keats (Illustrated)

“We hate poetry that has a palpable design upon us - and if we do not agree, seems to put its hand in its breeches pocket. Poetry should be great & unobtrusive, a thing which enters into one's soul, and does not startle it or amaze it with itself but with its subject. - How beautiful are the retired flowers! how would they lose their beauty were they to throng into the highway crying out, "admire me I am a violet! dote upon me I am a primrose!"”

Ifs Should Doe Soul Hands Seems Beautiful Hate Loses Subjects Cry Design Flower Agree Admire Pockets Violet Highways Retired

Book:Selected Letters

Source: Selected Letters

“Poetry should surprise by a fine excess and not by singularity, it should strike the reader as a wording of his own highest thoughts, and appear almost a remembrance.”

“There is an electric fire in human nature tending to purify - so that among these human creatures there is continually some birth of new heroism. The pity is that we must wonder at it, as we should at finding a pearl in rubbish.”

Should Humans Literature Nature Wonder Fire Human Nature Birth Creatures Findings Pity Heroic Electric Heroism Pearls Rubbish

Book:The Complete Works of John Keats

Source: The Complete Works of John Keats

“Poetry should be great and unobtrusive, a thing which enters into one's soul, and does not startle it or amaze it with itself, but with its subject.”

Should Writing Doe Soul Poetry Literature Subjects Poetry By Famous Poets

Author:John Keats

“Should Disappointment, parent of Despair, Strive for her son to seize my careless heart; When, like a cloud, he sits upon the air, Preparing on his spell-bound prey to dart: Chase him away, sweet Hope, with visage bright, And fright him as the morning frightens night!”

Should Heart Night Parent Morning Air Son Sweet Despair Strive Bounds Clouds Disappointment Spells Preparing Prey Careless Fright

Book:The complete poetical works and letters of John Keats

Source: The complete poetical works and letters of John Keats

“If I should die, I have left no immortal work behind me — nothing to make my friends proud of my memory — but I have loved the principle of beauty in all things, and if I had had time I would have made myself remembered.”

Ifs Should Made Dies Left Memories Behinds Principles Proud My Friends All Things Remembered Immortal

Author:John Keats

“I have had a thousand kisses, for which with my whole soul I thank love—but if you should deny me the thousand and first—‘t would put me to the proof how great a misery I could live through.”

Ifs Should Firsts Soul Whole Thousand Kissing Misery Deny Proof

Book:The complete poetical works and letters of John Keats

Source: The complete poetical works and letters of John Keats

“I never knew before, what such a love as you have made me feel, was; I did not believe in it; my Fancy was afraid of it, lest it should burn me up. But if you will fully love me, though there may be some fire, 'twill not be more than we can bear when moistened and bedewed with Pleasures.”

Ifs Love Feels Should Believe May Made Pleasure Fire Bears Romantic Fancy Bright Star

Book:Selected Letters of John Keats: Revised Edition

Source: Selected Letters of John Keats: Revised Edition

“My passions are all asleep from my having slumbered till nearly eleven and weakened the animal fiber all over me to a delightful sensation about three degrees on this sight of faintness - if I had teeth of pearl and the breath of lilies I should call it languor - but as I am I must call it laziness. In this state of effeminacy the fibers of the brain are relaxed in common with the rest of the body, and to such a happy degree that pleasure has no show of enticement and pain no unbearable frown. Neither poetry, nor ambition, nor love have any alertness of countenance as they pass by me.”

“Though the most beautiful creature were waiting for me at the end of a journey or a walk; though the carpet were of silk, the curtains of the morning clouds; the chairs and sofa stuffed with cygnet's down; the food manna, the wine beyond claret, the window opening on Winander Mere, I should not feel -or rather my happiness would not be so fine, as my solitude is sublime.”

Source: John Keats - The Man Behind The Lyrics: Life, letters, and literary remains: Complete Letters and Two Extensive Biographies of one of the most beloved English Romantic poets

“What is there in thee, Moon! That thou should'st move My heart so potently?”

Should Heart Moving My Heart Moon Thee

Author:John Keats

“I should write for the mere yearning and fondness I have for the beautiful, even if my night's labors should be burnt every morning and no eye shine upon them.”

Ifs Should Writing Eye Beautiful Night Morning Labor Shining Mere Yearning Every Morning Fondness

Book:Life, Letters, and Literary Remains, of John Keats

Source: Life, Letters, and Literary Remains, of John Keats

“A man should have the fine point of his soul taken off to become fit for this world.”

Men World Should Soul Taken This World Fine Fit Should Have Experience

Author:John Keats