Influences on the Work of John Keats Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Influences on the Work of John Keats - Essay Example As emphasized, these adversities allegedly contributed to his understanding of the role of the artist as the explorer of how art’s power can bring meaning and consolation to people’s suffering. (Poetry Foundation, 2014, par. 5). The current discourse hereby contends that the biggest influences on the work of John Keats include personal experiences on loneliness, love, and illness. The biography of John Keats revealed that the poet wrote his famous odes, with thoughts of longing for his brothers. One of his brothers, Tom, reportedly died of tuberculosis, while George, another brother, departed to America (Stanford University, 2011). The works were described to have been strongly influenced by emotions ranging from loneliness, longing, and despair, to wit: â€Å"The poems known as the Great Odes—â€Å"Ode to a Nightingale,† â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn,† â€Å"Ode to Melancholy,† â€Å"To Autumn,† and others, written in the spring of 1819, after Tom’s death and George’s departure—describe the misery into which the poet had plunged after the loss of his brothers. Likewise, the themes in some of these odes have been influenced by the poet’s adeptness to focus on humanities and the arts as a means of dissociating himself to feelings of isolation. More specifically, in the â€Å"Ode to a Nightingale†, the narrator describes his fascination with the expressive power of music, and in the â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn†, the speaker talks about his admiration of how sculpture reflects the stories frozen in time. The influence of romance or love were also noted to be present in some of Keats’ works. As love had been a strong emotional force that provided the impetus and inspiration for other literary artists, John Keats’ romantic experiences shared similar influence. Accordingly, one influential person in Keats’ life was Isabella Jones (Poem Hunter, 2014). As  emphasized in various works, the poet used to visit her frequently during the winter of 1818-1819; he also stated that their relationship was intimate.