Keats: Truth & Imagination

by K.E. Sullivan

A collection of poems and excerpts from Keats works, with a biographical introduction and a chronology

Genres: Poetry, Classics

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Crazytourists_books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice book of John Keats' poetry. The poems of a true romantic, full of love, lost love, nature and nostalgia. I particularly liked the included photos of paintings, they were a nice supplement to the poems

[Augusta Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, just shy of 100 pages, leaves much to be desired in format, ease of use and accuracy.
This is the only book I've read in K.E. Sullivan's "full-color series commemorating the best-loved works of our finest writers," as the dust jacket explains the series.
The format for the Keats book is an introduction, which is a short bio of Keats, then a nice selection of Keats' poetry alternating with paintings inspired by his poems. While not bad in general format, it would have been nice to have better designations to the end of a poem especially if it continues to additional pages and its not clear if some poems have been abridged. Also, I found it extremely frustrating to read a poem, look at the painting on the facing page and then flip to the back of the book to find the notes on the illustrations section and look up that particular painting's information. I would have liked to see this information below the painting or in the white space available on most facing pages.
As far as inaccuracy goes, two quotes from K.E. Sullivan regarding Fanny Brawne appear to me to be completely wrong. Or could it be that Ms. Sullivan is privileged to information or sources that none of Keats' 3 major American biographers were aware of nor Robert Gittings who not only had access to Keats document collections in the United States but also to local information he gathered in England for his biography on Keats?
Ms. Sullivan says on page 9 of her introduction, "The culmination of his intense feelings was his relationship with Fanny Brawne, a married girl of eighteen who moved in next door." and on page 10, "He fought against illness, became engaged to Fanny, who left her husband, and then threatened to break off their liaison as his condition worsened."
Never have I read that Fanny Brawne was married before meeting Keats and I haven't been able to find any mention of a previous marriage.
If this information could be proven, how un-romantic this would make Keats' love letters to Fanny Brawne!

[Ostap Bender · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice enough little collection of poems from John Keats, and I loved the inclusion of 26 illustrations, almost all of which are 19th century paintings that fit the lyrical mood of the poetry. The summary of Keats’ tragic life and epitaph (“Here lies one whose name was writ on water”) in the introduction is poignant. He was a romantic at heart, and his great sensitivity to art and timelessness come out in his poems. “Ode to a Grecian Urn”, “Ode to a Nightingale”, and “Ode” are all here, and fantastic. It was a bit odd for the entirety of “Isabella, or, The Pot of Basil” to be as well, since it took a big fraction of the book. On the other hand, extracting portions of “The Eve of St. Agnes” was unwise, and it suffered in the dissection. It’s not a bad introduction to Keats, but it seems a slightly larger volume would have done him more justice.

I loved this one, which captures solitude, nature, and connection with a kindred spirit:

O SOLITUDE! if I must with thee dwell,
Let it not be among the jumbled heap
Of murky buildings; climb with me the steep,—
Nature’s observatory—whence the dell,
Its flowery slopes, its river’s crystal swell,
May seem a span; let me thy vigils keep
’Mongst boughs pavillion’d, where the deer’s swift leap
Startles the wild bee from the foxglove bell.
But though I’ll gladly trace these scenes with thee,
Yet the sweet converse of an innocent mind,
Whose words are images of thoughts refin’d,
Is my soul’s pleasure; and it sure must be
Almost the highest bliss of human-kind,
When to thy haunts two kindred spirits flee.

[J. Wootton · Rating 4 out of 5]

English textbook anthologists have probably done more to dissuade students from reading literature than anyone or anything else. I doubt I will ever really enjoy Ode to a Grecian Urn on more than technical merit, but I savored at least half of the other pieces in this collection and for me that's pretty high.

Keats wrote some really beautiful passages and I read most of this collection five or six times before I allowed a new book to take its place on the bedside table.

In fact, I think I'll read through them again right now.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keats' best poems and ballads accompanied by fitting Pre-Raphaelite artwork. such a pleasure to peruse

[Ben Labe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to imagine that the man who wrote such profound, mature poems as are contained in this beautiful collection could have died at the age of twenty-five.

[Aria-Joshes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book but there was one poem in there that I found waaaaay too long. I’m excited to read more poetry by John Keats though. I also loved the illustrations. Gorgeous! I’m a big fan of the Pre-Raphaelites :)

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I've read Keats before? I'm not sure. This is a great introduction and I really enjoyed it. Didn't take long to read, but it's a great sampler. Really love the illustrations, too.

[Cal]

read to put me to sleep (didnt work) i like the ode to poems the best