My favorite poet so far in all of the English poets.
'The great beauty of Poetry is, that it makes every thing every place interesting - ' John Keats to his brother George, 1819
The Keats House in London has a great claim to fame - under the plum tree in its garden, Keats composed the beautiful Ode to a Nightingale. He lived here during his most creative time as a poet, sharing rooms with Charles Brown for two years. The house contains original manuscripts and books, some related to Fanny Brawne, his neighbor and fiancée.
Keats's confessions made Severn(his true friend living with him in his last months) believe that the poet's problems were caused as much by love as physical disease. This opinion was already shared by Keats's friends and doctor, and indeed Keats himself believed it. In the text of the letter to Brown, Keats had written: 'My dear Brown, I should have had her(fanny brwane) when I was in health, and I should have remained well'. Interestingly, Keats also believed his younger brother Tom had died as much from a broken heart as consumption. The power of love in Keats's universe was thus life-altering, and life-threatening. This belief gave Severn some optimism since heartache was not as alarming as consumption. But he was disturbed by the intensity of Keats's feelings, and how they affected his health.
