Keats

John Keats

A thing of beauty is a joy forever“-

A son of this earth unveiled this lore divine.
O lover of beauty, thy “Endymion”
And “Hyperion” veerless ever shall shine.
Thy wonder-arbour was born from five
Swift years-a recorded gift to mankind.
Although death snatched away thy life so hie,
The world keeps taut the demand of thy mind.

Keats’ “Endymion” is, no doubt, a grand success with its wonderful vividness and splendid felicity. But his “Hyperion” was, according to many critics, a sad failure. However, one cannot say that “Hyperion” has no magnificence at all. As ill-luck would have it, when this epic was brought to light, the poet was savagely criticised even by his bosom friends. As a result, his health broke down and the long-threatening consumption grew more formidable. He was ultimately compelled to pay his debt to nature. It will be no exaggeration to say that lack of indomitable zeal was in the main responsible for snatching away one of the wonder-poets of the world. Poor earth could not cherish his presence even for thirty fleeting years.

 

Excerpt from Philosopher-Thinkers:The Power-Towers Of The Mind And Poet-Seers: The Fragrance-Hours Of The Heart In The West

by Sri Chinmoy