Product Description
'What the imagination seizes as Beauty must be truth' So wrote the Romantic poet John Keats (1795-1821) in 1817. This collection contains all of his poetry: the early work, which is often undervalued even today, the poems on which his reputation rests including the Odes and the two versions of the uncompleted epic Hyperion, and work which only came to light after his death including his attempts at drama and comic verse. It all demonstrates the extent to which he tested his own dictum throughout his short creative life. That life spanned one of the most remarkable periods in English history in the aftermath of the French Revolution and this collection, with its detailed introductions and notes, aims to place the poems very much in their context. The collection is ample proof that Keats deservedly achieved his wish to 'be among the English Poets after my death' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Definitive Edition
There is simply no better edition of Keats in existence. However, if you are coming to Keats for the first time you'll be better off with an edition containing substantive annotations; Stillinger's notes are virtually all on textual matters (the Oxford Authors edition edited by Elizabeth Cook is a fine choice). The text established by Stillinger is unlikely to be surpassed for years to come. If you want an edition of Keats's complete poetic output in a reliable scholarly text, then this is the edition for you. For the Keats aficionado, this book is a godsend. ... Read more

Book Description
Illus. in full color. The Caldecott Medalist's powerful classic is now reissued in a handsome paperback edition, as well as a library edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

John Henry, Steel Driving Man
This was a good story.It added some life to the charachter that I was trying to portray to my students.

NIGHTLY
My 3 kids request I read this book every night. Its good enough that I don't MIND.

The Genius of Ezra Jack Keats!
Guess which is one of the books I'm using for Black History Month this year?

Illustrations and Words
Jessica Kruczynski English 385.04 Dr. Michelle H. Martin March 29, 2000

Keats, Ezra.John Henry:An American Legend.Toronto, Canada:Random House, Inc, 1965.

John Henry, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats, tells the story of a fictitious American legend.Through thepowerful illustrations, Keats portrays John Henry as a heroic man with muchimportance in society.Keats uses bold colors throughout the story, whichhelp stimulate the reader's emotions. John Henry's importance is firstrevealed in the opening of the story.Unusual, marbalized paperillustrations accompany the words that tell of the night noises welcomingJohn Henry into the world.Even as a newborn child, he is the focus of thestory, taking up an entire page in the book. When John Henry realizeshis own strength, he makes the decision to leave his family and go out intothe world.The illustration during this part of the story shows that achange is because of the bright colors and the image of waves rolling intothe next page.When a storm strikes, John Henry's first act of braverycomes into play.Black and grey colors give a feeling that things are notquite right.The storm nearly causes a ship to sink, but John Henry isable to gain respect and admiration from others by bringing their ship tosafety. John Henry, who was born with a hammer in his hand, feelscalled to go help build railroads.The illustration of him helping withthe railroad tracks is much different thtn the other illustrations becauseJohn Henry is not the center of attention.Perhaps the reason for this isbecause helping build the railroad with a hammer in his hand is where JohnHenry belongs. Henry's next opportunity to be the hero occurrs when alit fuse burns closely to dynamite in a cave, causing a very dangeroussituation.Trying to put out the fuse, John Henry first trips and falls,but recovers by putting out the flame with his hammer.In thisillustration, the hammer takes up and entire page!This shows that thehammer and John Henry are of equal importance; without his hammer, he isonly an ordianry man. After proving himself to be a hero, John Henrydevelops a feeling of much confidence in himself.When told about anextremely powerful steam drill, John Henry states that he is more powerfuland can drill more holes faster than six men combined.The illustrationsof Henry's "race" with the machine are very effective in portraying motion. The hammer appears to be moving so fast that it becomes almost a blur. The pictures show how tired John Henry is becoming, and eventhough thesteam drill is ahead of him at one point, he continues to work harder andfaster.With much determination, John Henry picks up another hammer sothat he can get twice as much done.In this illustration, John Henry andthe two hammers take up two pages.Keats uses a bright orange color tooffset Henry and the hammers.The bright color gives a feeling ofexcitement and makes the reader feel confident that John Henry can beat thesteam machine. Througout John Henry's battle with the machine, peoplewatch with admiration.John Henry continued to hammer, even after thesteam machine collapsed.His goal was to break through the tunnel and whenlight began to shine through, everyone saw that his goal was reached.Withhard work and determination, John Henry once again proved himself to be ahero.He died while walking out of the tunnel, carrying not one, but twohammers.

John Henry is a classic man vs. machine folktale.
I originally read this book when I was a boy and I remember how hauntingly beautiful I found the story.John Henry is still one of my favorite heroes and I collect everthing I can find on him.The book has burned itself into my soul!
I have no idea where my original book is, but when I recieved a new copy as a present I was a wash with memories.It's a very cool folktale and I can't wait to read it to my kids someday, like my mom did for me. ... Read more

Book Description
John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley belong to the second generation of Romantic poets. The Romantics focused on themselves and nature, as opposed to society and universal and general ideas. These two greats helped define and shape the movement. ... Read more

Book Description

The life of Keats provides a unique opportunity for the study of literary greatness and of what permits or encourages its development. Its interest is deeply human and moral, in the most capacious sense of the words. In this authoritative biography--the first full-length life of Keats in almost forty years--the man and the poet are portrayed with rare insight and sympathy. In spite of a scarcity of factual data for his early years, the materials for Keats's life are nevertheless unusually full. Since most of his early poetry has survived, his artistic development can be observed more closely than is possible with most writers; and there are times during the period of his greatest creativity when his personal as well as his artistic life can be followed week by week.

The development of Keats's poetic craftsmanship proceeds simultaneously with the steady growth of qualities of mind and character. Mr. Bate has been concerned to show the organic relationship between the poet's art and his larger, more broadly humane development. Keats's great personal appeal--his spontaneity, vigor, playfulness, and affection--are movingly recreated; at the same time, his valiant attempt to solve the problem faced by all modern poets when they attempt to achieve originality and amplitude in the presence of their great artistic heritage is perceptively presented.

In discussing this matter, Mr. Bate says, "The pressure of this anxiety and the variety of reactions to it constitute one of the great unexplored factors in the history of the arts since 1750. And in no major poet, near the beginning of the modern era, is this problem met more directly than it is in Keats. The way in which Keats was somehow able, after the age of twenty-two, to confront this dilemma, and to transcend it, has fascinated every major poet who has used the English language since Keats's death and also every major critic since the Victorian era."

Mr. Bate has availed himself of all new biographical materials, published and unpublished, and has used them selectively and without ostentation, concentrating on the things that were meaningful to Keats. Similarly, his discussions of the poetry are not buried beneath the controversies of previous critics. He approaches the poems freshly and directly, showing their relation to Keats's experience and emotions, to premises and values already explored in the biographical narrative. The result is a book of many dimensions, not a restricted critical or biographical study but a fully integrated whole.

Customer Reviews (2)

A Stimulating Biography
I have not read this book yet in its entirety, but I dont want to let the foregoing review be the only word on the subject here--I am sorry that reviewer found it "heavy going," I'll testify that I found the thinking in the two chapters I did read, 13 and 16, to be absolutely gripping and provocative, more than enough to cause me to order my own copy of the book.My sense of this work's importance is that of Mr. Tillotson's.

Pretty heavy going
I read this book because it won a Pulitzer Prize, and because I so greatly enjoyed the biographies of Keats by Aileen Ward and by RobertGittings.But I found much of this book tough going.The study of some of the longerpoems simply did not interest me.But the account of Keats' last year isvery well-done and absorbing. ... Read more

Product Description
Long overshadowed by Jane Eyre, Villette is widely admired as one of Charlotte Brontës finest works. This story of a young teacher at a girls school in the city of Villette is a particular challenge for the young reader for it requires maturity of vision, a fine narrative senseand a command of French! Mandy Weston, a newcomer to Naxos AudioBooks, tells the story magnificently. ... Read more

Book Description
Keats stands as a prophetic prelude to many of today's radical attempts at self- and cultural-transformation. But this side of Keats is rarely recognized. He is remembered mainly as a Romantic poet whose stature was magnified by his early death. Eclipsed by the lush sensuality of his poems, the real meaning of his life and the true greatness of his poetic achievement - how we make sense of our experience - has been largely misunderstood.

"Book of the Heart" grasps the core of Keats's poetic practice of life. It uncovers the path of knowledge that his letters reveal. In a moving and imaginative literary achievement, Rodríguez presents Keats as a hero of the heart, whose deep experience of life directed him in a unique way toward love, suffering, death, and creativity.

"Book of the Heart" is part of the "Studies in Imagination" series from Lindisfarne Books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An Exploration of the Real Keates
Andres Rodriguez is clearly very passionate about Literature and the influence Keates had upon his own generation and those that would follow. This book reviews and examines not only the poems of Keates but what could be argued to be even more important in the understanding of the man, his letters. The very mention of John Keates conjures up images of everything related to the "Romantics," however, Rodriguez successfully pays tribute to Keates "the author" instead of Keates as a member of the "Romantic Period." This book would be interesting to both avid fans of Keates and those who are taking their first approach in studying the genius.

A memorable and illuminating book
This is a memorable and illuminating book, making accessible to the general reader the treasures to be found in Keats's letters as well as his poetry.One of the remarkable things about this book is its emphasis on Keats's understanding of the healing powers of imagination and of poetry.Many, many years ago, my favorite English teacher told me that she hoped to write a book about Keats's letters.I remember wondering how a book about anyone's letters could be interesting, and hoped someday to see her book.She never wrote it, alas-- so it was a wonderful discovery to find in Andres Rodriguez's book some of the depths that my long-ago mentor had hoped to plumb. Don't be fooled by the negative review titled "fooled again"-- this is an unusual and beautiful book.

Fooled Again
I purchased this book based on the editorial reviews.
Well, I've been fooled again and again by glowing MOVIE reviews, but this is a first for me in literature. This is a badly written book. My one star recommendation is for you to purchase the book (it is inexpensive) to make your own judgment. ... Read more

Book Description
In The Cambridge Companion to Keats, leading scholars discuss Keats's work in several fascinating contexts: literary history and key predecessors; Keats's life in London's intellectual, aesthetic and literary culture and the relation of his poetry to the visual arts. These specially commissioned essays are sophisticated but accessible, challenging but lucid, and are complemented by an introduction to Keats's life, a chronology, alist of contemporary people and periodicals, a source reference for famous phrases and ideas articulated in Keats's letters, a glossary of literary terms and a guide to further reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The greatness of Keats
After Shakespeare there is no more musical poet in the English language than Keats. His long - reflecting lines have a depth of sensual beauty, incredible in imagery and reflection. The 'Truth is Beauty, and Beauty is Truth" conclusion of the great "Ode on a Grecian Urn" could serve as motto for his verse. In thegreat Odes, the Nightingale Ode, Ode to Autumn, Ode on a Grecian Urn he seems to strain poetic feeling into anew dimension of pained longing. " Perhapsthe self- same song that found a path, Through thesad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, She stood in tears amid the alien corn;The same that oft-times hath Charmed magic casements, opening on the form , Of perilous seas in faery lands forlorn" can move us magically to a sense of the vision or waking dream, the music that brings us beyond ourselves and sleep into the most sublime realm of poetry.
He did die young but not before his pen had gleemed his teeming brain " in great lines living still today. ... Read more

Book Description
Originally trained in medicine and becoming a pharmaceutical salesman at twenty-one, Keats soon abandoned the profession in order to live for and by his poetry. He published three volumes of poetry before his death of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-five. This authoritative new collection
contains the majority of Keats's non-dramatic poetry, including "Endymion" in its entirety, and a substantial selection of letters that provide important background material to the poet's life. Offering both prose and verse in an accessible, chronological order, this collection also includes useful
appendices on "St. Agnes' Eve" and "La Belle Dame Sans Merci," and provides a handy glossary of classical names. Keats poetry and his letters reveal a spirit of questing vitality and profound understanding. This remarkable volume attests to an astonishing maturity of power. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

John Keats
Doing a review of someone like Frost, Keats, Rilke, or Shakespeare is like reviewing the Bible, it is impossible.It has already been established that this man's poetry is mastery.Now the question is thus, what book should you purchase?If you want a small taste of his work at a good price, this is it.With this small, under $... edition, you can decide if you want to purchase anymore of his books.I say it is a great book for a poetry shelf in anyone's library.

The brillance of Keat's poetry
What a wonderful anthology of John Keats' poetry. The selections in this book range from his well known and loved pieces like "Lamia" and " To Autumn" to less familliar but still gracefully written"On the Sea" and "To Leigh Hunt, Esq."The timeline inthe front of the book is helpful, giving an overview of what the world waslike in Keats' short lifespan. Many critics wonder what he would'veaccomplished had he lived longer, and by reading this collection of hispoems, one can only image the brilliant works he might have given us tofurther his powerful legacy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

on realms of gold
This is a very sympathetic record of Keats' letters and poems, and anyone interested in his thoughts/personality is likely to find themselves pleased. ... Read more

Book Description

From the introduction by Philip Levine:

Customer Reviews (1)

The best Keats anthology going
Susan Wolfson's new Longman Cultural Edition of Keats is nonpareil. By interspersing the letters and the poems -- all arranged
chronologically--Wolfson brilliantly guides us through the poet's development. Alone among easily accessible editions, this one allows us to follow the poet and theorist in action, experimenting, elaborating, going out on limb after limb. Ideal for classroom use, ideal for simply reacquainting oneself with Keats's lyrics, narrative poems, epics, letters, etc. A must-read; a must-have. ... Read more

Book Description
John Keats's abiding poetic legacy is one of extraordinary and triumphant richness.Before the moment of `self-will' when he declared his intention to be a poet, Keats (1795-1821) had chosen the medical profession. His apothecary's training influenced his conception of poetry as an art that could mitigate the world's suffering. Keats's generous spirit triumphed over personal sadness, finding expression in his concept of life as a `vale of Soul-making' rather than a vale of tears. He published only three volumes before his death at the age of 25, and, while many of his contemporaries quickly recognized his genius, snobbery and political hostility led the Tory press to vilify him.This selection, chosen from the Oxford Authors critical edition of Keats's major works, demonstrates the remarkable growth in maturity of his verse, from early poems such as `Imitation of Spenser' and `Ode to Apollo' to later work such as 'The Eve of St Agnes', `Ode to a Nightingale', and `To Autumn'. Elizabeth Cook's introduction, notes and glossary of classical names offer helpful insights into Keats's life and work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

John Keates Selected Poetry
A classic collection of John Keates' poetry.Contains all of his best poems and many more.A wonderful reading experience. ... Read more

Book Description

For many years one of the most serious needs in the literary world has been for a definitive edition of the letters of Keats. Now one of the world's foremost Keats authorities, Hyder Edward Rollins of Harvard, has prepared a completely new edition of all the extant letters, with an extensive listing of the letters presumed missing.

With impeccable scholarship and total faithfulness to the originals, Professor Rollins here is able to redate and rearrange sixty of the letters. Through full documentation for each letter, understanding of the content is considerably amplified both through the correction of errors, and through application of the results of the editor's life-long study of Keats and his work. In addition to many letters from Keats' relatives and friends, the present work includes seven letters or other documents signed or written by Keats that appear in no English edition, and also new texts of seven other letters by the poet. Furthermore, all the letters known only in Woodhouse's transcripts and in Jeffrey's transcripts are here printed for the first time exactly as Woodhouse and Jeffrey copied them.

The letters of Joseph Severn describing the last illness and death of Keats are given in their entirety. These letters are invaluable historically and biographically, and are also exceptionally good reading.

Customer Reviews (1)

The Letters of John Keats is worth reading in its entirety!
I've been searching for this out of print series for years.I was thrilled to receive it and to delve into the life of Keats once more.Be careful however, when ordering the two-volume set.Because you are technically ordering one item, you'll likely receive only the first volume.In my case, I received the first volume twice, and now I have none, because I have to send them back because there are no second volume mates for them at this time.This is not yet documented.Nonetheless, if
your order gets straightened out (crossing fingers), this is a unique collection and worth every word on the page.Happy hunting!I'll definitely continue my search.You may want to opt for a more recent compiled version to avoid this problem.In any case, once you get your hands on the book, it is incredible. ... Read more

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Poetry for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: author biography; poem summary; poem text (if available); discussion of the work's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Poetry for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Poetry for Students."Download Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Poetry for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: author biography; poem summary; poem text (if available); discussion of the work's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Poetry for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Poetry for Students." ... Read more

Book Description
Neither purely biography nor purely criticism, this book is an attempt to understand the essence of Keats by surveying the evolution of his inward life as revealed in his poems and letters during the four years of his poetic career. ... Read more