'When I Have Fears' by John Keats
Use of Poetic Devices and Theme
This poem, 'When I Have Fears', could be described by some as Keats' fear of death. I think it is actually about his fear of not being able to live. At first, the two may sound identical, but there is a difference. He is not afraid of dying; he just does not want to leave things undiscovered when he dies. I can relate to him in this way. There are so many thoughts running through his mind that he doesn't have the opportunity or time to write them all down. There are books he won't read and sights he won't see, and to Keats, this is frightening. It scares him to know there will be a day when he must leave someone. The last two lines read 'Of the wide world I stand alone, and think / Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.'. When he has these fears, he reflects upon them and realizes how much he wants. He desires real, intense love and fame, but he's sure he'll die before he can achieve them. This creates a desperate theme because Keats is sure there's no way for him to find this divine love or become famous during his short life.
Keats uses figurative language all throughout the poem. He says his thoughts are held in 'high-piled books' like grain held in 'rich garners'. He also compares this idea of divine love to 'feary power' in line eleven. This could be because it's powerful and magical, or he doesn't know if it really exists. The lines, 'Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance, / And think I may never live to trance / Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;' imply that love is a game of chance and that he knows he'll never live to play the game. This poem's style is called a sonnet, which has a certain form. There is rhyme and a rhyme scheme, which is ABAB. I like this poem because I can relate to it in a way. I don't want to miss everything life has to offer, but I know there's not enough time to see and do everything I want to. I also like how Keats words his ideas. Even though the poem is depressing and desperate, he is excited to live what life he has. Maybe the realization that life is short and precious helped him to value the right things while he lived.
Keats uses figurative language all throughout the poem. He says his thoughts are held in 'high-piled books' like grain held in 'rich garners'. He also compares this idea of divine love to 'feary power' in line eleven. This could be because it's powerful and magical, or he doesn't know if it really exists. The lines, 'Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance, / And think I may never live to trance / Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;' imply that love is a game of chance and that he knows he'll never live to play the game. This poem's style is called a sonnet, which has a certain form. There is rhyme and a rhyme scheme, which is ABAB. I like this poem because I can relate to it in a way. I don't want to miss everything life has to offer, but I know there's not enough time to see and do everything I want to. I also like how Keats words his ideas. Even though the poem is depressing and desperate, he is excited to live what life he has. Maybe the realization that life is short and precious helped him to value the right things while he lived.