"Through the dancing poppies stole A breeze, most softly lulling to my soul."
About John Keats
John Keats — Life and Legacy
John Keats, a prominent figure of the Romantic movement, is celebrated for his profound exploration of love and beauty. His poetry often reflects a deep emotional intensity, as seen in his famous line, 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever,' which encapsulates his belief in the enduring power of beauty. Keats's work frequently grapples with the tension between the ephemeral nature of life and the timelessness of art, particularly in 'Ode to a Grecian Urn,' where he asserts that beauty captures moments that transcend time. Keats's worldview is characterized by a rich interplay of sensory experiences and philosophical contemplation. His quotes reveal a deep understanding of human emotions, as he often intertwined love with the transient nature of existence. For instance, his letters and poems express a longing for connection, reflecting both the joy and pain of love. This duality is a hallmark of his writing, showcasing how beauty can evoke both pleasure and sorrow. Today, Keats's quotes resonate with readers for their emotional depth and insight into the human condition. His ability to articulate the complexities of love and beauty continues to inspire, inviting reflection on the nature of existence and the power of art to capture fleeting moments of joy.
Quote collection
John Keats quotes (page 1 of 18)
353 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Don't be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid."
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness."
"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing, to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts."
"A hope beyond the shadow of a dream."
"Land and sea, weakness and decline are great separators, but death is the great divorcer for ever."
"Shed no tear - O, shed no tear! The flower will bloom another year. Weep no more - O, weep no more! Young buds sleep in the root's white core."
"Open afresh your rounds of starry folds, Ye ardent Marigolds."
"And when thou art weary I'll find thee a bed, Of mosses and flowers to pillow thy head."
"Neither poetry, nor ambition, nor love have any alertness of countenance as they pass by me."
"You are always new, the last of your kisses was ever the sweetest."
"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."
"Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced."
"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affections, and the truth of imagination."
"My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains/ My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk."
"Souls of poets dead and gone, What Elysium have ye known, Happy field or mossy cavern, Choicer than the Mermaid Tavern? Have ye tippled drink more fine Than mine host's Canary wine?"
"If poetry does not come as naturally as leaves to a tree, then it better not come at all."
"To silence gossip, don't repeat it."
"Love is my religion - I could die for it."
"They swayed about upon a rocking horse, And thought it Pegasus."