In February, we visited the home of English Romantic poet, John Keats.

We were given a tour, allowing us to enjoy and learn more about Keats' house and life.  Throughout our tour my classmates and I were shown the very rooms in which John Keats composed his poems and rested whilst he was ridden with tuberculosis.

After learning about Keats' childhood and adolescence, I was particularly interested in a room dedicated to Fanny Brawne, Keats’ fiancé whom he loved dearly.  Whilst she was alive, Fanny was an avid fashion lover and this lover of fashion was clearly demonstrated through a book of fashion plates, illustrations detailing fashion trends during the early and mid 19th Century.

We then concluded our trip with an in depth analysis of Keats' poems 'Ode on Melancholy' and 'Ode to a Nightingale'.  As we learned of the struggles Keats faced throughout his life, my classmates and I gained a deeper understanding of his dedication to his work.  Even in the face of ruthless criticism, Keats continued to pour his heart and strength into composing poetry and his love for his work can still be felt in poems today. 

'I have good reason to be content, for thank God I can read and perhaps understand Shakespeare to his depths.' (an excerpt from a letter written by John Keats in February 1818)

Written by Mariam Y - 13 Strand