John Keats was born in October 1795 in England. He is often considered as one of the greatest poets of his time, and even though he only lived for 25 years, he was still able to accomplish many things.
He is the second generation of Romantic Poets, and he has been studied thoroughly by many literature students around the world.
Continue reading and discover all these amazing facts about John Keats
John Keats Facts
1. John Keats was surrounded by nature during his early childhood
Keats was born in his grandfather’s stable, something that shaped the way in which he saw nature.
Thomas Keats, who was John’s father, was spending time in the stable alongside his wife Frances, as they were managing the stable because his father-in-law wasn’t able to do so anymore.
Since Thomas had done such a good job, his father-in-law decided to give them the stable as an inheritance, thus Thomas was now able to provide his family with the necessary income that will eventually allow them to buy their own house and to send their older children John and George to Enfield, where a small academy was run.
Even though there is not a lot of information about Keats’ childhood, it has been said that his family was really close, happy and the environment of the inn yard was truly warming and welcoming.
2. The school where Keats attended had a big impact on him
Keats was truly impressed by everything he was experiencing. Not only it was the first time he left his family behind, but it was also the first time he would study in an Academy.
When Keats was only eight years old, he entered the Enfield Academy and he immediately became really good friends with the fifteen-year-old Charles Cowden Clarke, the son of the headmaster, an interesting fact about John Keats.
He loved his time in the Academy, and he also loved his time reading books that he found in the library. However, everything was soon going to change, as his father had a horrific accident where he would die the next day.
Keats had been in school for less than a year and he was truly sad about what had happened.
3. Keats developed a strong relationship with the headmaster of his school
Keats loved everything about the school he attended. He even drew closer to John Clarke, who was the headmaster of the Academy and to his son, Cowden.
Keats became Clarke’s best student as he would read voraciously. He would then take first prizes in pretty much all essay contests that existed at the time.
He was able to translate Latin and French books and it can be argued, that during this time of his life Keats was able to discover literature.
But what he loved the most about his school was the fact that discipline was light, and he was always encouraged by the headmaster to continue with his reading activities, to continue writing and to try to publish his works.
4. John Keats was an avid reader
The headmaster of the Academy where Keats’ studied would always encourage him to develop his own sense of awareness.
In addition, Clarke would always tell Keats to go to the library whenever he felt like he couldn’t cope with life, especially after the deaths of some of his family members.
Keats would often read histories, travel stories, novels, dictionaries, and everything related to Greek mythology.
An interesting fact about John Keats is that literature, for him, was everything. It was the place where he would escape, but also, it was the place where he was able to find his true self.
5. Keats started studying something he was not passionate about
After leaving the Academy, Keats started studying anatomy and physiology and he decided to become a surgeon, as this was a respectable profession that didn’t require a University degree.
And even though he was really good at it, he often complained about his loneliness and lack of discipline in regards to his chosen profession. He knew that this was temporary, as he wasn’t passionate about it.
He began to rediscover what he was interested in and he started going back to Enfield in order to see the Clarkes, who were individuals who truly understood him.
6. John Keats wrote a lot during his short life
John Keats loved to read but he couldn’t live without writing. He wrote some sonnets, epics and odes.
In 1819, he wrote a book which is considered as one of his greatest poetry pieces, and he was able to publish it the following year, alongside the other two parts of the book which were Isabella and the Eve of St. Agnes and other poems.
The book also is an unfinished version of a poem called Hyperion and another three poems which are considered as Keats masterpieces. They are called Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode on Melancholy and Ode to a Nightingale, an interesting John Keats fact.
7. John Keates’ life was poetic
After the death of Thomas Keats, Frances decided to move to her mother’s house and she remarried again, less than two months after the accident. Though this marriage didn’t last, and her estranged husband William Rawlings, took everything she once owned and kept it.
Frances then decided to leave town and she remarried to another man. A couple of years passed by and she returned in 1808 to live with John and the rest of her children, however, she became ill and died the following year.
John became the oldest male of his family and he was really protective of his brothers and his sister, Fanny.
Conclusion
Even though Keats died really young he was soon considered as one of the greatest English poets. He had a remarkable career that only lasted a couple of years, but during that time he was able to accomplish a lot.
Keats published fifty-four poems, and he was amazing at changing his poems’ structures. He defined what the English poetry would look like from then onwards. He was truly loved and respected by all, and he often received positive critics for his work.
I hope that this ariticle on John Keats facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Historical People Facts Page!
