Full Description
Here is the first reliable edition of John Keats's complete poems designed expressly for general readers and students.
Upon its publication in 1978, Jack Stillinger's The Poems of John Keats won exceptionally high praise: "The definitive Keats," proclaimed The New Republic—"An authoritative edition embodying the readings the poet himself most probably intended, prepared by the leading scholar in Keats textual studies."
Now this scholarship is at last available in a graceful, clear format designed to introduce students and general readers to the "real" Keats. In place of the textual apparatus that was essential to scholars, Stillinger here provides helpful explanatory notes. These notes give dates of composition, identify quotations and allusions, gloss names and words not included in the ordinary desk dictionary, and refer the reader to the best critical interpretations of the poems. The new introduction provides central facts about Keats's life and career, describes the themes of his best work, and speculates on the causes of his greatness.
Contents
Introduction Chronology Imitation of Spenser On Peace Lines Written on 29 May, the Anniversary of Charles's Restoration, on Hearing the Bells Ringing Stay, ruby breated warbler, stay Fill for me a brimming bowl As from the darkening gloom a silver dove To Lord Byron Oh Chatterton! how very sad thy fate Written on the Day That Mr. Leigh Hunt Left Prison To Hope Ode to Apollo To Some Ladies On Receiving a Curious Shell, and a Copy of Verses, from the Same Ladies O come, dearest Emma! the rose is full blown Woman! when I behold thee flippant, vain O Solitude! if I must with thee dwell To George Felton Mathew Had I a man's fair form, then might my sighs Hadst tho liv'd in days of old I am as brisk Give me women, wine, and snuff Specimen of an Induction to a Poem Calidore: A Fragment To one who has been long in city pent Oh! how I love, on a fair summer's eve To a Friend Who Sent Me Some Roses Happy is England! I could be content To My Brother George (sonnet) To My Brother George (epistle) To Charles Cowden Clarke How many bards gild the lapses of time On First Looking into Chapman's Homer Keen, fitful gusts are whisp'ring here and there On Leaving Some Friends at an Early Hour To My Brothers Addressed to Haydon Addressed to the Same To G. A. W. To Koscuisko Sleep and Poetry I stoof tip-toe upon a little hill Written in Disgust of Vulgar Superstition On the Grasshopper and Cricket After dark vapours have oppressed our plains To a Young Lady Who Sent Me a Laurel Crown On Receiving a Laurel Crown from Leigh Hunt To the Ladies Who Saw Me Crown'd God of the golden bow This pleasant tale is like a little copse To Leigh Hunt, Esq. On Seeing the Elgin Marbles To Haydon with a Sonnet Written on seeing the Elgin Marbles On a Leander Which Miss Reynolds, My Kind Friend, Gave Me On The Story of Rimini On the Sea Unfelt, unheard, unseen Hither, hither, love You say you love; but with a voice Before he went to live with owls and bats The Gothic looks solemn O grant that like to Peter I Think not of it, sweet one, so Endymion: A Poetic Reminder In drear nighted December Apollo to the Graces To Mrs. Reynold's Cat Lines on Seeing a Lock of Milton's Hair On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again When I have fears that I may cease to be Lines on the Mermaid Tavern O blush not so! O blush not so Hence burgundy, claret, and port God of the meridian Robin Hood Welcome joy, and welcome sorrow Time's sea hath been five years at its slow ebb To the Nile Spense, a jealous honorer of thine Blue!--'Tis the life of heaven--the domain O thou whose face hath felt the winter's wind Extracts from an Opera Four seasons fill the measure of the year For there's Bishop's Teign Where by ye going, you Devon maid Over the hill and over the dale Dear Reynolds, as last night I lay in bed To J. R. Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil Mother of Hermes! and still youthful Maia To Homer Give me your patience, sister, while I frame Sweet, sweet is the greeting of eyes On Visiting the Tomb of Burns Old Meg she was a gypsy There was a naughty boy Ah! ken ye what I met the day To Ailsa Rock This mortal body of a thousand days All gentle folks who owe a grudge Of late two dainties were before me plac'd There is a joy in footing slow across a silent plain Not Aladdin magian Read me a lesson, Muse, and speak it oloud Upon my life, Sir Nevis, I am piqu'd On Some Skills in Beauley Abbey, near Inverness Nature withheld Cassandra in the skies Fragment of Castle-builder And what is Love?--It is a doll dress'd up 'Tis the "witching time of night" Where's the Poet? Show him! show him Fancy Bards of passion and of mirth Spirit here that reignest I had a dove, and the sweet dove died Hush, hush, tread softly, hush, hush, my dear Ah! woe is me! poor Silver-wing The Eve of St. Agnes The Eve of St. Mark Why did I laugh tonight? No voice will tell When they were come unto the Faery's court As Hermes once took to his feathers light Character of C. B. Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art Hyperion: A Fragment La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad Song of Four Fairies: Fire, Air, Earth, and Water Sonnet to Sleep Ode to Psyche On Fame ("Fame, like a wayward girl") On Fame ("How fever'd is the man") If by dull rhymes our English must be chain'd Two or three posies Ode to a Nightingale Ode on a Grecian Urn Ode on a Melancholy Ode on Indolence Shed no tear--O shed no tear Otho the Great: A Tragedy in Five Acts Lamia Pensive they sit, and roll their languid eyes To Autumn The Fall of Hyperion: A Dream The day is gone, and all its sweets are gone I cry your mercy--pity--love!--aye, love What can I do to drive away To Fanny King Stephen: A Fragment of a Tragedy This living hand, now warm and capable The Jealousies: A Faery Tale, by Lucy Vaughan Lloyd of China Walk, Lambeth In after time a sage of mickle lore Abbreviations Selected Bibliography Commentary Appendix: The Contents of 1817 and 1820 Index of Titles and First Lines
