Written On A Summer Evening Poem by John Keats

A brilliant poem from Britain's best poet.

This is an attack on the melancholy of the Church of England service whose songs and sermons are often dirge-like. It compares the funereal inside of a church with the glories outside it, and asks why should people want to worship God in such a gloom, when they could be among nature's 'rarities'? This poem predicts the death of such a religion, based on “a chill as from a tomb”, to be replaced by a religion of nature - a true Romantic statement. The style is pre-Romantic, but the idea is not. One sees here too the view of a man whose life is lived under the shadow of death revolting against a religion which is so deathly, and who braves his fear of death by advocating, not a heaven in which he will live forever, but a Nature which will eventually draw him into its bosom after a life spent glorying in it. The glory is here now all around us, not in some putative ghostly heaven.

'The church bells toll a melancholy round, Calling the people to some other prayers, Some other gloominess, more dreadful cares, More harkening to the sermon's horrid sound., This is a very interesting poem because within the first four lines of the octave, John Keats in his poem ‘Written on a Summer Evening’, has clearly written his total rejection of Christianity as a religion. He defined the ‘blood sacrifice of Christ is 'horrid.'’ Christians are ‘dying like an outburnt lamp, ’ which implies Keats' belief that Christianity is a religion of ‘reprehensible Christian sensibilities.’ Keats believes personified nature is an ‘entity capable of expressing itself through the sensory perception that humans enjoy.’ Keats defines ‘Art and Salvation through the creative process’. This poem reveals Keats' emphasis on his ideal that ‘the deepest meaning of life lay in the apprehension of material beauty, although his mature poems reveal his fascination with a world of death and decay.’ Yet Keats retained a host of moral and intellectual uncertainties. His truth is arbitrary ‘based on feelings and preferences, rather than facts or reason.’ He wrote 'I have not one Idea of the truth of any of my speculations'. In his ‘pseudo-religious beliefs; his many references to higher powers, the afterlife, salvation, the soul, ’ his ‘rubric of his religious ideas’ reveals ‘varied opinion oriented ideas and philosophical speculations of his sometimes tormented mind’. Keats believed in a ghostly earth is where ‘the great artists, such as Shakespeare or Milton, did not die, but survived in some form to guide the present.’ He never defined exactly how? Yet he believed ‘salvation from a painful world was delivered by the personal experience of the Soul, and not by an external saviour.’ Keats worshipped 'Apollo as the divine source of poetry. His poetic lyrics tell of the exploits of Apollo, elevating him into the sphere of creative rapture. In this scheme, Apollo takes on an aspect of the Saviour, the leader of those people (the poets) who would bring humanity to bliss by pointing out the world's lessons for the Soul. Apollo becomes 'the golden theme' of inspiration (Hyperion book II line 28) . ' Keats rejected ‘the Christian model of salvation’ and it has been said he was ‘enamoured with Greek mythology’ because ‘the 'gods' and 'spirits' of Classical mythology were 'mediators, ' but not 'palpable' ones; they only represented certain qualities of the natural world that Keats wanted to bring 'common apprehension' to.’’ Keats ‘lauded, respected, and expounded the mythologies of the ancient Greeks who presented gods as symbols of elements at work in the universe.’ It is interesting that Keats creates his religion from mythology and fictitious stories. In contrast my study of the great minds who revolutionized the western ‘world's thinking by developing advanced systems of jurisprudence, civility, education, and science’; so often reveals an inspiration from their belief in Jesus Christ. We are given free choice to believe as we will! Although I have studied Keats and have opinions concerning his life and beliefs, all sources quoted are from Tekton Education and Apologetic Ministry, the article ‘John Keats and Christianity’ by professor Carmelo Tropiano from Seneca College. However most of us simply appreciate Keats for the wonderful legacy which he has left us.

The miraculous power of nature can install a spiritual guidance and temperance that a musty old crumbling building with archaic and informal rituals of destitution can never achieve the potent power of real belief. Enjoy the air not the sermon, great poem from Mr. Keats

i read this poem every year and on this date. i thought of same meaning 6pm prayer

Beautiful Classic Poem Of The Day. Thank you so much, Poem Hunter and Team!

FOUR: The Sonnet ends on a hopeful note, with the speaker acknowledging that the church bells will eventually stop ringing and that new life and beauty will emerge. So far my opinion of this fascinating Sonnet

THREE: It reflects on the fact that people are drawn away from their joyful lives to attend church and listen to sermons, which are often filled with dreadful and depressing messages.

TWO: The Sonnet describes the sound of church bells ringing in the evening, which evokes a sense of sadness and gloominess.

ONE: The poem "Written on a Summer Evening" by John Keats is a sonnet that explores the themes of melancholy and religion.