John Keats

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that John Keats is undoubtedly one of the finest poets of the Romantic era, but he was regularly criticized for being a follower of Cockney school of thought. The author states that the Cockney style was a derogatory term used to define a certain poetic or writing style, charged with vulgarity, superficiality, lack of class, and masculinity; thus, Keats's association with Leigh Hunt proved to be extremely disastrous for the young poet who was rudely and ruthlessly accused without actual study of his work. The paper concludes that Keats does exhibit Cockney influences, especially where defiance of cultural and political restrictions is concerned; however, his poems should be completely acquitted from the charges of vulgarity or lack of morality.

From the Paper:

"However, the very same poem became an English classic and modern critics have explained the severe criticism of Keats' early poems. G. A. Mathews explains that Keats unfortunately published his work during a time when it "it was hardly possible for a creative writer associated with one side to receive fair treatment from a reviewer employed by the other." But Keats can be termed a Cockney poet if we focus on some of the positive aspects and similarities of his work with that of Leigh Hunt. Despite what critics said about Keats' work, the only real Cockney influence on his work was reflected in his desire to deviate from fixed social, political and poetic rules. If his work did not exhibit clear structure, it was to some extent intentional because Keats shared with Hunt a desire to rebel against societal and political restrictions."

More papers on John Keats:

• Book Review # 69111 : "John Keats' Poems"
• Descriptive Essay # 115057 : "John Keats: The Contradictory Forces of Love"
• Poem Review # 107301 : "John Keats' "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer"

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