WHEN I HAVE FEARS… : JOHN KEATS
When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;
When I behold, upon the night’s starred face, 5
Huge cloudy symbols of romance,
And think 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, 10
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.
3.1. Comment on how the extended metaphor of the harvest in the first
quatrain effectively conveys the poet’s anguish? (3)
3.2. Explain in your own words what ther poet deeplyregrets
in the second quatrain. (2)
3.3 “Never have relish in the faery power/Of unreflecting love.
Explain how the diction in the above line expresses the poet’s feelings about love. (2)
3.4. Explain how the rhyming couplet in the last two and a half lines
of this sonnet effectively conveys the poet’s resolutions to his fears. (3)
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CONTEXTUAL QUESTION: WHEN I HAVE FEARS: JOHN KEATS
3.1. Comment on the extended metaphor of the harvest in the first quatrain.
OWN OPINION, but MUST point out comparison between his ideas/poems √
and gathering in the harvest of grain √ Books containing his ideas likened to
‘garners’ (baskets) holding grain √ . He feels he has a ‘rich’ harvest √ waiting to be gathered in. (3)
3.2. Explain in your own words what Keats regrets in the second quatrain.
No longer being able to use his fortunate gift of being able to write/create poetry √ to portray nature in all its glory √ . Magnificence of nature (priority of Romantic poets) √ (2)
3.3. In your opinion, is ‘faery’ a good choice as an adjective in line 11?
He regrets that he will never again feel the heedless rush of falling in love/Being swept off one’s feet by emotion √ Refers to it as “faery power”;
this is effective because it reflects the magical √ quality of the experience. An ‘ineffective’ argument would be hard to justify, but should be evaluated on merit. (2)
3.4. Comment on the effectiveness of the last two and a half lines of this sonnet.
Distinct mood change to gloomy/melancholy/depression √ created by diction eg alone, nothingness and sink √ reader responds with pity/sympathy √. Long vowel sounds √reinforce gloomy mood.
After three ‘when’s’ in the poem – three conditions/scenarios√ Keats produces the conclusion/message/final revelation√ introduced by ‘then’.
ANY OTHER IDEAS TO BE CONSIDERED ON MERIT (3)
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