"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affections and the truth of imagination -- What the imagination seizes as beauty must be truth -- whether it existed before or not -- for I have the same idea of all our passions as of love they are all in their sublime, creative of essential beauty -- in a word, you may know my favorite speculation by my first book and the little song I sent in my last -- which is a representation from the fancy of the provable mode of operating in these matters -- The imagination may be compared to Adam's dream [in Paradise Lost VIII 460-490] -- he awoke and found it truth. I am the more zealous in this affair, because I have never yet been able to perceive how any thing can be known for truth by consecutive reasoning -- and yet it must be -- Can it be that even the greatest philosopher ever arrived at his goal without putting aside numerous objections -- However it may be, O for a life of sensations rather than thoughts! It is 'a vision in the form of youth' a shadow of reality to come . . . "
The "Adam" Keats refers to is a character in John Milton's Paradise Lost, The passages dealing with his dream are in VIII 460-490.
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8 comments:
I loved reading the book, PARADISE LOST. That would be a text I would love to read in class...it would be cool if their was a movie. Its a great book!
Wow! In class essays are so daunting! I didn’t know how I should choose from three topics that I was at least somewhat of an expert on. Maybe, some of you guys could shed some light on the experience you’ve had with the last in-class essay?
I do have some minor complaints about it. I did find it somewhat exciting that we were all on a sort of quest of writing…but did not find it particularly enjoyable that I was rushed. I guess it is a downfall from not paying too much attention in elementary school…that I don’t have the rudimentary skills to pace myself. Then, editing was another story all together. If Mr. Crandall didn’t give us enough time to finish…I don’t think I would have survived from that experience in one piece. Anyhow, I wrote on Keats…because it allowed for more creative writing.
I found Keats enjoyable because I was allowed free reign to critique his writing without actually knowing of his work. I love poetry. To me this piece spoke of volumes about ones philosophical experience or the discovery of it. Everybody is either discovering, experiencing, or endowing revelations in mystical magical ways…so that our spirits can be moved beyond our own common understanding of the world.
Keats was writing to his friend, who he is obviously trying to make a grand impression. I believe that Keats was experiencing the omnipresence of God. He was being moved by the splendor & beauty of creation that was indeed flowing through him – as everyone was a sort of conduit to the energy of their environment. This was one mans experience, one mans point of view. I’m sure if everyone were to write how they felt at that particular time, we would have seen some similarities…
Wow! In class essays are so daunting! I didn’t know how I should choose from three topics that I was at least somewhat of an expert on. Maybe, some of you guys, could shed some light on the experience you’ve had with the last in-class essay?
I lliked reading the book, Paradice Lost. It would be cool if it was a movie. Wow!
Gee, I had no idea there were so many readers of Paradise Lost! Did you read it in class or outside?
I would kike reading "Paradice lost". I wish it was a movie.
Oh wow....I read it just because this post has 7 comments. It is a good essay. i also think that this will be a good base story for a movie.
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