'What Kisses Had John Keats?' by Robert Service
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Rhymes for My RagsI scanned two lines with some surmise
As over Keats I chanced to pore:
'And there I shut her wild, wild eyesWith kisses four.'Says I: 'Why was it only four,
Not five or six or seven?
I think I would have made it more,--Even eleven.'Gee! If she'd lured a guy like me
Into her gelid grot
I'd make that Belle Dame sans MerciSure kiss a lot.'Them poets have their little tricks;
I think John counted kisses for,
Not two or three or five or six
Editor 1 Interpretation
“What Kisses Had John Keats?” by Robert Service: A Poetic Celebration of Love and Art
Are you a fan of John Keats? Do you love poetry that captures the essence of passion, beauty, and mortality? If so, then you must read “What Kisses Had John Keats?” by Robert Service, a Canadian poet and writer who was inspired by the life and work of the Romantic poet Keats. This poem is not just a tribute to Keats, but also a meditation on the power of art and love to transcend time and space, and to connect us with the sublime.
A Brief Summary of the Poem
At the beginning of the poem, Service sets the scene by describing the house where Keats once lived, and the flowers that still grow in his garden. He then asks the question that gives the poem its title: “What kisses had John Keats?” Service imagines that Keats must have loved many women, and that he must have kissed them with all his heart and soul. He goes on to speculate about the kind of women Keats might have loved, and the kind of kisses they might have shared.
Service then shifts his focus to Keats’ poetry, and how it reflects his passion and longing for love. He quotes from “La Belle Dame sans Merci” and “Bright Star” to illustrate how Keats’ words capture the beauty and mystery of love, and how they reveal his own vulnerability and mortality. Service concludes by saying that Keats’ kisses and poems are still alive, and that they continue to inspire and move us, even after two centuries.
A Critique of the Poem
“What Kisses Had John Keats?” is a beautiful and poignant poem that celebrates the enduring legacy of one of the greatest poets in English literature. Service’s use of imagery, metaphor, and allusion is masterful, and his language is both lyrical and accessible. He captures the essence of Keats’ poetry and personality, and conveys his own admiration and affection for the Romantic poet.
One of the strengths of the poem is its ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for a bygone era of art and culture. Service invites us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of Keats, to feel the same emotions and desires that he must have felt, and to appreciate the beauty of his world. He makes us realize that, despite the passage of time and the changes in society, the human heart and its yearnings remain the same.
Another strength of the poem is its affirmation of the power of art and love to transcend boundaries and connect us with something greater than ourselves. Service suggests that Keats’ kisses and poems are not just personal expressions of his own experiences, but also universal symbols of human passion and beauty. He implies that, by appreciating Keats’ art, we can feel a sense of communion with him, and with all those who share our love for poetry.
However, there are also some weaknesses in the poem that can be addressed. One of them is the tendency to idealize Keats and his world, and to overlook the darker and more complex aspects of his life and poetry. Keats was not just a romantic dreamer, but also a struggling artist who faced poverty, illness, and loss. His poems are not just expressions of love, but also of disillusionment, despair, and mortality. By ignoring these aspects, Service may risk oversimplifying Keats’ character and work.
Another weakness is the lack of specificity and detail in the poem. Service uses vague and general terms to describe Keats’ kisses and poems, and to imagine the kind of women he might have loved. While this may enhance the universal and timeless quality of the poem, it also deprives it of a sense of concrete reality and authenticity. Service could have benefited from more research and analysis of Keats’ life and poetry, and from more vivid and specific descriptions of his art and emotions.
An Interpretation of the Poem
To interpret “What Kisses Had John Keats?” is to explore its themes, symbols, and meanings, and to relate them to our own experiences and perceptions of love and art. One possible interpretation is that the poem is a celebration of the power of imagination and empathy to create connections between people and times. Service uses his own imagination and empathy to enter into Keats’ world and to feel the same emotions that he did. He invites us to do the same, and to realize that, despite our differences in culture, language, and time, we can still understand and appreciate the beauty and depth of Keats’ art.
Another interpretation is that the poem is a tribute to the Romantic ideal of love as a transformative and transcendent force. Keats’ poetry is full of images of love as a divine or mystical entity that can elevate the soul and the senses. Service echoes this ideal by suggesting that Keats’ kisses and poems are not just ordinary expressions of love, but also magical and transformative experiences that can transport us to a higher realm of existence. He makes us feel that, by reading Keats’ poems or imagining his kisses, we too can experience the same kind of enchantment and ecstasy.
Yet another interpretation is that the poem is a reflection on the nature of artistic inspiration and creativity. Keats’ poems are not just products of his personal experiences and emotions, but also of his artistic vision and technique. Service acknowledges this by quoting from Keats’ poems and by commenting on their literary qualities. He implies that, by analyzing and appreciating Keats’ art, we can gain insights into the nature of creativity, and into our own potential as artists and creators.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “What Kisses Had John Keats?” is a beautiful and thought-provoking poem that celebrates the power of love and art to connect us with the sublime. Robert Service’s tribute to John Keats is not just a homage to a great poet, but also a reminder of the enduring legacy of Romanticism, and of the timeless human quest for beauty and meaning. By reading this poem, we can enrich our own understanding of Keats’ poetry, and of the universal human experiences that it expresses.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
What Kisses Had John Keats? A Classic Poem by Robert Service
If you are a fan of poetry, you must have come across the name John Keats. He was a renowned English Romantic poet who lived in the early 19th century. His works are still celebrated today, and his influence on the literary world is undeniable. However, have you ever wondered what kind of kisses John Keats had? Well, Robert Service did, and he wrote a poem about it. In this article, we will analyze and explain the classic poem, "What Kisses Had John Keats?" by Robert Service.
The poem is a humorous take on the romantic life of John Keats. It starts with the question, "What kisses had John Keats?" and goes on to describe various types of kisses that Keats might have experienced. The poem is divided into four stanzas, each describing a different type of kiss.
The first stanza describes the "kiss of the sun for pardon." This kiss refers to the warmth and light of the sun that Keats might have felt on his face as he walked through the fields. The sun's kiss is a symbol of forgiveness and redemption, and it is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.
The second stanza describes the "kiss of the moon for welcome." This kiss refers to the soft glow of the moon that Keats might have seen on a clear night. The moon's kiss is a symbol of comfort and reassurance, and it is a reminder that even in the loneliest of times, there is always someone watching over us.
The third stanza describes the "kiss of the dew for oblivion." This kiss refers to the cool, refreshing dew that Keats might have felt on his skin as he lay in the grass. The dew's kiss is a symbol of forgetfulness and release, and it is a reminder that sometimes, it is necessary to let go of the past and move on.
The fourth and final stanza describes the "kiss of love for pardon." This kiss refers to the passionate embrace of a lover that Keats might have experienced. The kiss of love is a symbol of forgiveness and acceptance, and it is a reminder that even in the most difficult of times, there is always someone who loves us.
The poem is written in a light and playful tone, and it is clear that Service is not taking himself too seriously. However, there is also a deeper meaning to the poem. Each kiss that is described represents a different aspect of life, and together they form a picture of the human experience. The sun's kiss represents the need for forgiveness, the moon's kiss represents the need for comfort, the dew's kiss represents the need for release, and the kiss of love represents the need for acceptance.
Furthermore, the poem is also a tribute to John Keats himself. Keats was a poet who was known for his romanticism and his love of nature. He was a man who was deeply in touch with his emotions, and his poetry reflected this. The kisses that Service describes in the poem are all connected to nature, and they are a reflection of Keats' own love of the natural world.
In conclusion, "What Kisses Had John Keats?" is a classic poem that is both playful and profound. It is a tribute to the romanticism of John Keats and a reflection of the human experience. The poem reminds us that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope, comfort, release, and acceptance. It is a reminder that life is a journey, and that we must embrace all of its ups and downs. So, the next time you see the sun, the moon, or the dew, remember the kisses of John Keats, and let them inspire you to embrace life with open arms.
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