Question

How does Keats present fears towards death in his poem “ When I have fears ”?

Accepted Answer

Keats employs a tone of sincerity and frankness within his poem which is displayed through the
entirely monosyllabic first line . This engages the reader and encourages them to contemplate
the prospect of death as they read the poem. As the poem is in the form of a Shakespearan
sonnet , Keats is constructing an argument; he discusses his fears towards death in the first twelve
lines before concluding on and dismissing them in the final two and a half lines. The use of the
dash separating the line “Of unreflecting love - then on the shore” physically separates his
argument from the conclusion. Furthermore, Keats formats all his lines in iambic pentameter ,
providing a stable structure to contrast the philosophically complex, even unanswerable themes,
he introduces in the first three stanzas. These themes along with the exploration of Keats’ fear of
his own mortality is typical in his work.

Keats Fears Death Poem Line Present I Employs