John Keats, one of the most famous Romantic poet, was born October 31, 1795 in London. Keats had a middle class family growing up, living with his grandmother after several life events including the loss of his real father, abandonment from his mother resulting of having to live with his grandmother. After abandoning Keats and his siblings, his mother came back into his life in 1808, but died in 1810 from tuberculosis. In 1811, Keats apprenticed with a doctor after wanting to study medicine following his mother’s death due to tuberculosis. By 1817, he finished his apprenticeship, passed his exams allowing him to practice medicine, and spent six months practicing before he left the medical world to follow his true love with poetry. Keats has written many poems before his untimely death due to tuberculosis, just like his mother, at the age of 25. …show more content…
Even though he was the definition of Romantic, in the 19th century sense, he was also a modern guy whose life was full of drama and passion. His first poems were either made fun of or were outright ignored. When people read them, they hated his poetry and thought it was horrible. Today, however, he is recognized as one of the greatest poets to have ever existed. Keats poetry sets him apart from other poets from his time because before the Romantic era, poets work were usually quiet and polite instead of filled with passion. I first learned about Keats in a contemporary romance novel by Jillian Dodd. Her main character’s name was Keatyn who went by Keats for short, one of Keatyn’s friends kept a diary full of John Keats’s poems that was dedicated to Keatyn. John Keats impacted many lives, as well as, influencing countless poets in the 20th century, such as Wallace Stevens and T.S.