An entirely new portrait of Keats, rich with insights into the
torments of his life and the imaginative sources of his works
This landmark biography of celebrated Romantic poet John Keats explodes
entrenched conceptions of him as a delicate, overly sensitive, tragic
figure. Instead, Nicholas Roe reveals the real flesh-and-blood poet: a
passionate man driven by ambition but prey to doubt, suspicion, and
jealousy; sure of his vocation while bitterly resentful of the obstacles
that blighted his career; devoured by sexual desire and frustration; and
in thrall to alcohol and opium. Through unparalleled original research,
Roe arrives at a fascinating reassessment of Keats's entire life, from
his early years at Keats's Livery Stables through his harrowing battle
with tuberculosis and death at age 25. Zeroing in on crucial turning
points, Roe finds in the locations of Keats's poems new keys to the
nature of his imaginative quest.
Roe is the first biographer to provide a full and fresh account of
Keats's childhood in the City of London and how it shaped the would-be
poet. The mysterious early death of Keats's father, his mother's
too-swift remarriage, living in the shadow of the notorious madhouse
Bedlam--all these affected Keats far more than has been previously
understood. The author also sheds light on Keats's doomed passion for
Fanny Brawne, his circle of brilliant friends, hitherto unknown City
relatives, and much more. Filled with revelations and daring to ask new
questions, this book now stands as the definitive volume on one of the
most beloved poets of the English language.
