John Keats, (1795-1821) was an English Romantic poet and a contemporary of Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley.
He died tragically young of tuberculosis in Rome at the age of 25 and his poems had only been in publication for about four years when he died. They were indifferently received in his lifetime, but his fame grew rapidly after his death and he is now considered one of the finest poets of the English language. His reputation rests on a small body of work, centred on the Odes
Keats was convinced that he had made no mark in his lifetime, stating in February 1820, "I have left no immortal work behind me – nothing to make my friends proud of my memory – but I have lov'd the principle of beauty in all things, and if I had had time I would have made myself remember'd."
Today his poems and letters remain among the most popular and analysed in English literature.
Our tea towel features just a few snippets which we hope will encourage you to read more of this fascinating poet's work.
