PROOF!

[MonroeDoctrine]

Here is proof that John Keats is a classical humanist Republican who supported the American Revolution: He wrote a poem to Thaddeus Kosciusko who was a General in the American Revolution (He actually used his knowledge in engineering to defeat the Brits) and this is what he says.

To Kosciusko

GOOD Kosciusko, thy great name alone
Is a full harvest whence to reap high feeling;
It comes upon us like the glorious pealing
Of the wide spheres - an everlasting tone.
And now it tells me, that in worlds unknown,
The names of heroes, burst from clouds concealing,
And changed to harmonies, for ever stealing
Through cloudless blue, and round each silver throne.
It tells me too, that on a happy day,
When some good spirit walks upon the earth,
Thy name with Alfred’s, and the great of yore
Gently commingling, gives tremendous birth
To a loud hymn, that sounds far, far away
To where the great God lives for evermore.

[Malia]

Andrew motion stated (in the documentary "The Last Voyage of John Keats") that Keats followed the notions of Democracy that the ancient Greeks laid out. He certainly believed in liberty and freedom of speech (in an age of libel)--he was pretty "left wing" for his day. The Enfield school and even Guys (Sir Astley Cooper, especially) tought from the liberal point of view, so Keats was influenced throughout his life to this way of thinking. Your comments about Keats's political views make sense to me, Monroe Doctrine. He certainly had strong political views.

[Saturn]

There was certainly no doubt about Keats' radical stance - he may not have, like Byron, been a devotee of Napoleon but Keats was certainly a supporter of the American democrac,y no question about that.

What he would make of GWB is another question of course

[dks]

MD--no need for hard evidence on that--of course he supported revolutionary thought and action--he was a free thinking Romantic educated at Clarke's--they condoned questioning and doubt--it would have been instilled in him from early on...

He just didn't delve into it by pummeling anyone with a stance--he shied away from using poesy as a forum for political views or a banner of his own philosophies.

Is this what you meant before?? I took your declaration of Keats as a sort of leftist for something else...

[Saturn]

Is this what you meant before?? I took your declaration of Keats as a sort of leftist for something else...

He certainly wasn't that - he was a revolutionary in the world of rhyme, a prophet of poesy, not a proto-communist revolutionary like Shelley was

[dks]

Yes...I agree (I've never thought of Keats as political at all myself), but I think I misunderstood MD's assertion before--oh hell--nevermind.

[Saturn]

If you read any of MD's old posts you'll see that there's always a political agenda in them

[dks]

Yes.

[catlover]

I always wondered with Keat's liberal views how he felt about his brother George being a slave owner when he settled in America.

[Saturn]

What

I don't ever reading that about George

Source please catlover

[catlover]

Go back to some of the biographies and read the chapters where George comes back from America to raise money.There is a conversation he is having with Charles Dilke and friends and he is making fun of some of the slaves he owns and laughing about it.

If you wish I can look it up and requote it here.

[Malia]

Go back to some of the biographies and read the chapters where George comes back from America to raise money.There is a conversation he is having with Charles Dilke and friends and he is making fun of some of the slaves he owns and laughing about it.

If you wish I can look it up and requote it here.

Which bios are these? I have never read anything of that nature in Ward, Bate, Gittings, Lowell or Hewett.

[catlover]

Andrew Motion mentions it on page 492 In his biography of Keats when he talks about George's life in America.

I know I read the remarks about George's conversation when he came to visit from England. I am currently looking for where I found it and I will write and let you know the information.