The 'Currently reading' thread...

[Saturn]

Ah such is the lot of the bibliophile; we are a hoarding, incorrigible, obsessive crowd.

[BrokenLyre]

Yes, indeed, my friends...

hey, I ran across a great little book on Keats written way back and I will post an excerpt from it soon on this Forum. Just blew me away with it's beauty and insight...busy working this weekend - but next week I will post it. I think you'll all enjoy it as well. Very touching.

[Saturn]

Think I might check out that "Young Romantics" mentioned before; will keep me going until that new Keats book is published.

[Saturn]

Think I might check out that "Young Romantics" mentioned before; will keep me going until that new Keats book is published.

[BrokenLyre]

Speaking of books, I recently bought "Keats' Reputation in America to 1848" by Hyder E. Rollins (1946). Got it on Ebay for about 4 dollars (that's like a quarter of a shilling.... ha ha ha). Anyway, I thought this would be a fun read as it details the various written remarks about Keats' life and poetry from 1821-1848 (when Milnes' important biography came out). I didn't realize there was so many comments about his life in that early period. Fascinating what people thought. May I give you a snippet? Here's something that touched me (and it was written when Keats was a virtual unknown):

From the Boston Atheneum on March 1, 1822 (which came from Time's Telescope magazine, January 1822 "Death of John Keats, the Poet"):

"Some in their age,
Ripe for the sickle; others, young like him,
And falling green beneath th'untimely stroke.

MR. KEATS died at Rome, Feb. 23, 1821, which he had gone for the benefit of his health. His complaint was a consumption, under which he had languished for some time; but his death was accelerated by a cold caught in his voyage to Italy.....Mr. Keats was, in the truest sense of the word, a Poet. There is but a small portion of the public acquainted with the writings of this young man; yet they were full of high imagination and delicate fancy, and his images were beautiful and more entirely his own, perhaps, than those of any living writer whatever. He had a fine ear, a tender heart, and at times great force and originality of expression; and nothwithstanding all this, he has been suffered to rise and pass away almost without a notice: the laurel has been awarded (for the present) to other brows; the bolder aspirants have been allowed to take their station on the slippery steps of the Temple of Fame, while he has been nearly hidden among the crowd during his life, and has at last died, solitary, and in sorrow, in a foreign land.

It is at all times difficult, if not impossible, to argue others into a love of poets and poetry: it is altogether a matter of feeling, and we must leave to time (while it hallows his memory) to do justice to the reputation of Keats...."

I wonder if this strikes you the way it did me. At a time when Keats had precious little support, here comes an article that is positive and sensitive to Keats. I was especially impressed by how prescient this writer was about the position of Keats. The parenthetical phrase "for the present" is just remarkable. In 1822, nobody seems to have thought too much about him except those few in his circle. A nice read. There are many other fascinating statements in this book but that will do for now. Hope you enjoyed hearing a past voice spoken less than 1 year from John's death.

[Raphael]

Think I might check out that "Young Romantics" mentioned before; will keep me going until that new Keats book is published.

What new book Saturn?

[Raphael]

MR. KEATS died at Rome, Feb. 23, 1821, which he had gone for the benefit of his health. His complaint was a consumption, under which he had languished for some time; but his death was accelerated by a cold caught in his voyage to Italy.....Mr. Keats was, in the truest sense of the word, a Poet. There is but a small portion of the public acquainted with the writings of this young man; yet they were full of high imagination and delicate fancy, and his images were beautiful and more entirely his own, perhaps, than those of any living writer whatever. He had a fine ear, a tender heart, and at times great force and originality of expression; and nothwithstanding all this, he has been suffered to rise and pass away almost without a notice: the laurel has been awarded (for the present) to other brows; the bolder aspirants have been allowed to take their station on the slippery steps of the Temple of Fame, while he has been nearly hidden among the crowd during his life, and has at last died, solitary, and in sorrow, in a foreign land.

It is at all times difficult, if not impossible, to argue others into a love of poets and poetry: it is altogether a matter of feeling, and we must leave to time (while it hallows his memory) to do justice to the reputation of Keats...."

I wonder if this strikes you the way it did me. At a time when Keats had precious little support, here comes an article that is positive and sensitive to Keats. I was especially impressed by how prescient this writer was about the position of Keats. The parenthetical phrase "for the present" is just remarkable. In 1822, nobody seems to have thought too much about him except those few in his circle. A nice read. There are many other fascinating statements in this book but that will do for now. Hope you enjoyed hearing a past voice spoken less than 1 year from John's death.

Nice and true words Broken Lyre.I agree entirely with

Mr. Keats was, in the truest sense of the word, a Poet. There is but a small portion of the public acquainted with the writings of this young man; yet they were full of high imagination and delicate fancy, and his images were beautiful and more entirely his own, perhaps, than those of any living writer whatever. He had a fine ear, a tender heart, and at times great force and originality of expression

[Raphael]

You guys all make life easier for me - by recommending such books. I enjoyed the Immortal Dinner.... if I keep collecting such books my wife will consider putting me away.

[marwood]

Back from the library with Ted Hughes, The hawk in the rain, Simon Armitage, zoom, John Clare selected poems.
Three different styles. Had a flick through a Carol Ann Duffy book, what do you folks think of the new poet laureate?
Take care.
Marood.

[Saturn]

Great selection there, you'll enjoy all three I think for different reasons.

I've never read any of the new Laureate's work; must investigate further in future.

[Cybele]

I'm doing my Happy Dance!

My copy of "The Keats Brothers" arrived this afternoon!!!

After having poured over references to George Keats in the letters of James Freeman Clark and Margaret Fuller, searching for references to him in biographies of John James Audubon, and traveling hundreds of miles to go to the site of George's house, reading an unpublished thesis about him and searching for his grave in Louisville, I've been happily awaiting the release of this book. And now it's in my hot little hands. At this very moment I'm getting ready to climb into a warm bed on this rainy night and have a good read.

[Saturn]

Let us know how it is; I look forward to reading it myself if I can find it.

I'm now reading various plays of Euripides in translation, musing on hazy Attic afternoons filled with ancient choruses and the deeds of Gods and men.

[BrokenLyre]

Sounds great Cybele - I just loved hearing from you with this book. You make it sound delicious. I look forward to it someday. I so am happy for you!

[dks]

I just finished "The Hours" by Michael Cunningham. It's unfathomably brilliant work, but afterward, I wasn't sure whether I was inspired to write a deranged, magnum opus or wedge stones in my pockets and jump in a nearby river...it was a reading experience.

[Saturn]

It's a very fine novel, and very powerful film.

Now I'm about to begin reading the aforementioned 'Young Romantics' by Daisy Hay, which I lucked upon unexpectedly in an Oxfam shop the other day. hooray for unsatisfied readers of new books and students who sell their books - where would we be without you?