Lettres à Fanny

by John Keats, Laurent Folliot (Préface), Elise Argaud (Traduction)

Longtemps hésitant entre la médecine et la poésie, John Keats n’avait guère eu qu’ironie et méfiance pour les choses du sentiment lorsqu’il s’éprit de Fanny Brawne, la fille de ses nouveaux voisins de Hampstead. De cette liaison difficile – ils seront fiancés mais jamais époux –, il nous reste trente-sept lettres, écrites au cours des deux dernières années de la vie de l’écrivain, juste avant et pendant la maladie qui devait l’emporter en 1821 à l’âge de vingt-cinq ans. Dans ce qui fut pour Keats un temps d’assombrissement et d’amertume, l’amour devient à la fois révélation et désastre, nectar et poison ; le poète trouve dans sa passion la réalisation possible d’un idéal de beauté qui le hantait, mais aussi la source d’une vulnérabilité qui l’éloigne encore davantage d’un monde dont il ne se satisfait plus. C’est-à-dire que l’amour, chez Keats, est autant le double que la limite de la poésie, et c’est pourquoi l’on retrouve dans la trajectoire brisée de cette correspondance, l’une des plus célèbres de la langue anglaise, le goût et l’exigence de l’impossible qui habitèrent toute son œuvre.

Genres: Nonfiction

150 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Rich melodic works in classical imagery of British poet John Keats include " The Eve of Saint Agnes ," " Ode on a Grecian Urn ," and " To Autumn ," all in 1819.

Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley include "Adonais," an elegy of 1821 to John Keats.

Work of the principal of the Romantic movement of England received constant critical attacks from the periodicals of the day during his short life. He nevertheless posthumously immensely influenced poets, such as Alfred Tennyson. Elaborate word choice and sensual imagery characterize poetry, including a series of odes, masterpieces of Keats among the most popular poems in English literature. Most celebrated letters of Keats expound on his aesthetic theory of "negative capability."

Wikipedia page of the author

Reviews

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I wish I was either in your arms full of faith, or that a Thunder bolt would strike me.”

“You are always new. The last of your kisses was ever the sweetest; the last smile the brightest; the last movement the gracefullest. When you pass'd my window home yesterday, I was fill'd with as much admiration as if I had then seen you for the first time...Even if you did not love me I could not help an entire devotion to you.”

“My love has made me selfish. I cannot exist without you – I am forgetful of everything but seeing you again – my Life seems to stop there – I see no further. You have absorb’d me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I was dissolving – I should be exquisitely miserable without the hope of soon seeing you … I have been astonished that Men could die Martyrs for religion – I have shudder’d at it – I shudder no more – I could be martyr’d for my Religion – Love is my religion – I could die for that – I could die for you.”

OH MY GOD.
I can't seem to stop crying now...

Also, his handwriting was so beautiful<3

[yuvi • ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Illness is a long lane, but I see you at the end of it, and shall mend my pace as well as possible" (it's heartbreaking that he died a year later)

I almost wish we were butterflies and liv‘d but three summer days — three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.

"To see those eyes I prize above mine own
Dart favors on another—
And those sweet lips (yielding immortal nectar)
Be gently press’d by any but myself—
Think, think Francesca, what a cursed thing
It were beyond expression!"

“I know not how to express my devotion to so fair a form: I want a brighter word than bright, a fairer word than fair. I almost wish we were butterflies and liv’d but three summer days—three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.”

When Keats’ letters to Fanny Brawne were published in 1887 they caused a sensation with their passionate content:

I have been astonished that Men could
die Martyrs for religion – I have shudder‘d at it – I shudder no more – I could be martyr‘d for my Religion – Love is my religion – I could die for that – I could die for you. My Creed is Love and you are its only tenet – You have ravish‘d me away by a Power I cannot resist: and yet I could resist till I saw you; and
even since I have seen you I have endeavoured often ―to reason against the reasons of my Love.‖ I can do that no more – the pain would be too great – My Love is selfish – I cannot breathe without you.

I'm putting it out into the universe:
IF HE AIN'T LIKE KEATS, I DON'T WANT HIM😭😭

[Salman Tariq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its not a review, Its more of praising as I cant commit such a sin... I have just plucked the most beautiful parts of his letters to His Love...
Unlike traditional romantics Keats introduced the idea of negative captivity of Love;love can generate negative feelings or love can even destroy a person. Poets consider him as one of the gods of Poetry.....
His love is just like an ECG , , with full of spikes and falls ..

During his first letter, He demands kisses on the letter and what a beautiful way of describing it,
"Will you confess this in the Letter you must write immediately, and do all you can to console me in it—"make it rich as a draught of poppies to intoxicate me —^write the softest words and kiss them that I may at least touch my lips where yours have been"

His love reaches it peak in following lines
"I almost wish we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days-^three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain"
"But if you will fully love me, though there may be some fire, 'twill not be more than we can bear when moistened and bedewed with Pleasures."
"I would never see any thing but Pleasure in your eyes, love on your lips, and Happiness in your steps"
"I kiss'd your writing over in the hope you had indulg'd me by leaving a trace of honey."

Keats doubt on his own love instincts in a unique way.Keats is not shy to admit that one only love for sake of beauty so as he did.

"But I doubt much, in case of the worst, whether I shall be philosopher enough to follow my own Lessons: if I saw my resolution give you a pain I could not. Why may I not speak of your Beauty, since without that I could never have lov'd you? —I cannot conceive any beginning of such love as I have for you but Beauty"

for being Harsh at times ,with cold heart admits his mistakes, jealousy or emotional instability rather pretending a fake passion that makes love even closer to reality
"If through me illness have touched you (but it must be with a very gentle hand) I must be selfish enough to feel a little glad at it."
"I conjure you to give it thinking; and ask yourself whether 'tis not better to explain my feelings to you, than write artificial Passion.—Besides, you would see through it."
"I am not happy enough for silken Phrases, and silver sentences, I can no more use soothing words to you than if I were at this moment engaged in a charge of Cavalry"

He admits the reality and bows to his love..
"I cannot be admired, I am not a thing to be admired. You are, I love you; all I can bring you is a swooning admiration of your Beauty."
"You absorb me in spite of myself—you alone: for I look not forward with any pleasure to what is call'd being settled in the world; I tremble at domestic cares— yet for you I would meet them, though if it would leave you the happier I would rather die than do so. I have two luxuries to brood over in my walks, your Loveliness and the hour of my death. O that I could have possession of them both in the same minute."

Keats death wish... beautifully phrased

I hate the world: it batters too much the wings of my self-will, and would I could take a sweet poison from your lips to send me out of it. From no others would I take it.
.

[Michael]

"Ik wou dat ik óf in jouw armen was, vol vertrouwen, óf door een bliksemschicht werd getroffen."

[aashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe feeling everything in so much depth isn't a curse after all. I read the letters from Mr. Keats to his dearest love and I could feel every word he wrote in this book.

My
love has made me selfish. I cannot
exist without you. I am forgetful of
everything but seeing you again—my
Life seems to stop there—I see no
further. You have absorb’d me. I
have a sensation at the present moment
as though I was dissolving—I should
be exquisitely miserable without the
hope of soon seeing you. I should be
afraid to separate myself far from you.
My sweet Fanny, will your heart never
change? My love, will it? I have no
limit now to my love.... Your note
came in just here. I cannot be happier
away from you. ’Tis richer than an
Argosy of Pearles. Do not threat me
even in jest. I have been astonished
that Men could die Martyrs for religion—I
have shudder’d at it. I shudder
no more—I could be martyr’d for my
Religion—Love is my religion—I could
die for that. I could die for you. My
Creed is Love and you are its only tenet.
You have ravish’d me away by a Power
I cannot resist; and yet I could resist
till I saw you; and even since I have
seen you I have endeavoured often “to
reason against the reasons of my Love.”
I can do that no more—the pain would
be too great. My love is selfish. I
cannot breathe without you.
Yours for ever
JOHN KEATS.

[Hajer · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Malin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked reading Keats' beautiful words but it felt incomplete. Is this really all of his surviving letters to Fanny Brawne?

[Marcel Ozymantra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prachtig geschreven brieven van John Keats aan zijn liefde Fanny Brawne. Daar kan niks mis mee zijn aangezien hij een absolute meester is van de Engelse taal (ondanks spelfouten die hij blijkbaar vaak maakte). Helaa sis de selectie onduidelijk en worden brieven ingekort of voorafgegaan door praatjes over de achtergrond van wat wordt besproken. Natuurlijk weet ik graag waar brieven over gaan, maar heb ik niet zo'n behoefte aan een handje dat me er langs leidt, terwijl ik lees. Ik maak het graag uit brieven zelf op wat er gaande is. Daarom is het jammer dat alleen brieven aan Fanny zijn opgenomen en niet ook aan vrienden en familie. Door de brieven leer je een mens kennen op heel persoonlijk, maar ook artistiek vlak. Aan dat laatste wordt bijvoorbeeld nauwelijks aandacht aan besteed. Dat terwijl het juist zo belangrijk is om dit in zijn context te zien. Wat zijn de banden met de andere romantische dichters van zijn tijd? Het is jammer dat hier weer de behoefte heeft overheerst de lezer tegen zichzelf te 'beschermen' door een zo simpel mogelijk gegeven aan te bieden.

[Caroline Fosse · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Min kjæreste Fanny,
Selv om jeg skal treffe deg om ikke lenge, klarer jeg ikke å holde meg fra å sende deg noen linjer. I går etterlyste du en detaljert beskrivelse av helsa mi. I dag har jeg sluttet å ta medisinen jeg har tatt for å holde pulsen min nede, og jeg føler meg foreløpig helt fin, som er et godt tegn, og tyder på at det ikke lenger er betent. Du lurer på om jeg ikke blir sliten på kveldene, men det er den beste tida på døgnet, jeg er på mitt friskeste rundt klokka åtte. Jeg fikk beskjed fra herr Proctor i dag. Han sier at han ikke kan besøke meg i dette været da han er redd for en betennelse i brystet. For et forferdelig klima vi har, og så uforsiktige vi er i det. Du også. Ikke ta lett på dette, kjæreste jenta mi, ikke utsett deg for kulda. Der er trosten igjen - jeg har ikke råd til den - regningen for alle dens sanger blir for stor - den burde dessuten vite at jeg kjøper all musikken min av Clementi. Hvordan holder du ut å være på Hampstead i så lang tid? Jeg kommer alltid til å huske det stedet som en dominant og ufyselig person. Jeg kunne laget et alter til bare deg av den grunn.

Din hengivende
J.K»

«Kjæreste jenta mi,
Med tanke på festen i kveld så ser jeg deg vel ikke før i morgen. Jeg er langt bedre idag - jeg har ikke annet enn litt kraftløshet og tretthet i brystet å klage på. Jeg misunnet Sam den spaserturen han tok med deg i dag; jeg skal ikke la det gjenta seg, da misunnelse sliter meg ut. Jeg ser deg for meg nå i den nye svarte kjolen din som jeg liker så godt, og hadde jeg vært litt mindre egoistisk og mer entusiastisk skulle jeg løpt hele veien og overrasket deg med å banke på døren. Jeg er nok altfor forsiktig til å være en døende elsker. Det er dog en meget stor forskjell på å forlate scenen som en varmblodig Romeo, og å hoppe av gårde som en frosk i frosten. - Jeg hadde ikke noe spesielt på hjertet i dag, men fordi jeg ikke ønsker et opphold i korrespondansen vår (som jeg en dag kommer til å tilby Murray), så skriver jeg! Gud velsigne deg min skjønne kjæreste. Sykdom er et langt løp, men jeg ser deg i enden av det, og jeg skal avmåle farten deretter.

J-K»

[Jacob Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keats you profound, poor soul. A read that is not for the feint hearted and can sometimes feel too personal and intimate, but ultimately conveys the very real and turbulent relationship between love, captivity, beauty, and negative capability.


Some quotes embodying the general feeling:

“I cannot conceive any beginning of such love I have for you but Beauty”

“let me speak of your Beauty, though to my own endangering”

“letting you take possession of me; the very first week I knew you I wrote myself your vassal; but burnt the Letter as the very next time I saw you I thought you manifested some dislike to me.”

[Laurie Zeitoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merveilleuse lecture ! Sensible et délicat monsieur Keats ...

[☆ Semirah ☆]

"If we love we must not live as other men and women do—I cannot brook the wolfsbane of fashion and foppery and tattle—you must be mine to die upon the rack if I want you."

[Joanna]

Triste, ambivalente, vakre kjærlighetsbrev.

[Margot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonobstant la fabuleuse écriture de John Keats, ce livre ne mérite que trois étoiles. Je lui en avais d'abord attribué quatre mais il m'est ensuite apparu avec le recul que face à d'autres ouvrages, notamment ceux de Proust ou de Virginia Woolf, quatre étoiles étaient bien trop généreux. Les poèmes de Keats sont un pur ravissement et je pense que le caractère fade de ce livre est a imputé au choix de l'éditeur. La lecture est en outre certainement plus digne d'intérêt dans la langue maternelle de Keats, c'est évident. Les premières pages sont un vrai plaisir à lire, mais très vite, cela devient lassant voire répétitif. La maladie du poète le privant de tout loisir et divertissement, les quelques lettres ici sélectionnées donnent une bien pâle vision du poète. Il est en outre regrettable (et parfois même cela constitue un gros manque) que le lecteur ne puisse pas également disposé des lettres de Fanny auxquelles Keats fait réponse à de nombreuses reprises et qui permettrait à ce recueil de correspondance d'être peut-être plus léger et digeste.
C'est toutefois une lecture intéressante et instructive en ce qu'elle permet d'embrasser la vision de Keats concernant l'amour et la beauté (que celui-ci chérissait par dessus tout et dont il fût, tout au long de sa courte existence, l'un des plus dévoué serviteur).
Je me contenterais désormais d'apprécier le génie des recueils de poèmes de Keats.

[kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked reading Fanny’s letters too, but Keats provided an interesting range of moods.
Overall, as far as books of letters go, this was very readable; and I saved some particularly great quotes.

“I know not how to express my devotion to so fair a form: I want a brighter word than bright, a fairer word than fair. I almost wish we were butterflies and liv’d but three summer days—three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.” A few wistful sighs and wows, reading through this. It was exactly “good”!

[Anaële · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce livre est une compilation des lettres écrites par le poète anglais John Keats à sa fiancée, Fanny, au début du XIXème siècle.

Que dire à part que si vous voulez lire une correspondance romantique, remplie d’amour, d’affection et de sentiments, ce livre est fait pour vous ?

On suit la relation entre le poète et sa fiancée, de leurs premiers émois à leurs disputes, leurs séparations.

Une petite lecture sympa entre deux pavés ou deux livres avec des sujets profonds.

[Madonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

So bright & delicate!♥
"Love is my religion. I could die for that."

[Cat Dominguez]

Found a very old copy at my local half price books it was even in the locked case with care. I'm pleased as I read each word telling his story of love and life.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

pour un si grand poète, écrire des lettres d'amour si plates, c'est décevant.

[Joanne Coakley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sentimental nonsense....

[Béatrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

On est frustré de ne pas avoir les réponses de la jeune fille!