Abstract: John Keats (1795-1821) is a representative English romantic poet. His poems bring to the readers not only the enjoyment of beauty, but meditation to life and death. This paper takes Keats’ death consciousness as the breakthrough point to study his poems. Through the interpretation of Keats’ view of death, it is to say that on one hand, death is inevitable, which is a natural law of the alternation of old and new; on the other hand, death is the highest reward for life. Many of Keats’ poems and letters have shown a strong sense of death. And this paper takes two of his famous poems Ode to a Nightingale(1818) and Bright Star(1820) as text analysis to make a thorough study of death consciousness, which mainly explains his unique understanding towards life and death. By analyzing the formation of Keats’ death consciousness and explaining the special historical, the cultural background and his personal experience will benefit readers to know more about this great poet and to understand that era on a broader level.

Key words: death consciousness; John Keats; romanticism; Greek mythology

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

  1.1 Introduction to John Keats-1

  1.2 Literature Review-1

2. Overview of Death Consciousness-4

  2.1 Definition of Death Consciousness-4

  2.2 Views of Death in the West-5

3. Keats’ Views on Death-7

  3.1 Death is Inevitable-7

  3.2 Death is to Praise and Cherish Life-8

4. Death Consciousness in Keats’ Poems-10

  4.1 Death Consciousness in Ode to a Nightingale-10

  4.2 Death Consciousness in Bright Star-12

5. Factors for the Formation of Keats’ Death Consciousness in Poems-14

  5.1 Social and Culture Factors-14

   5.1.1 The Influence of Romanticism-14

   5.1.2 The Influence of Greek Mythology-15

  5.2 Personal Experiences-16

   5.2.1 The Influence of Family Environment-17

   5.2.2 The Influence of His Love-18

6. Conclusion-19

References-20