John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821 / London, England)
Poems by John Keats : 209 / 220
When I have Fears that I may cease to be
WHEN I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high pil`d books, in charact'ry,
Hold like rich garners the full-ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And feel that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour!
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love;--then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think,
Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.
John Keats
Submitted: Saturday, January 04, 2003
Read poems about / on: romance, magic, power, alone, world, night, love, fear
Poems by John Keats : 209 / 220
Comments about this poem (When I have Fears that I may cease to be by John Keats )
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Keats takes my breath away with this one.
Simply amazing.
This is Keats' masterpiece as well as one of the best poems ever written.
Can someone please explain what this means? ? I have to write a thesis paper on it by February 22! ! ! Thanks, Jessy