Speaking of Keats

Pip! Pip!

Speaking of brilliant British poets, one of the greatest Romantic era poets was John Keats, who died at the ripe young age of 25 from tuberculosis, or "consumption" as they used to call the incurable and all too common disease in those days. Keats happens to be my all time fav; his poetry is a paradox of otherworldly, etheral imagery and metaphor pared with down-to-earth vulnerability. But I am not here to preach on the poetic prowess of Keats, just to talk about the film "Bright Star" which documents the last three years of his life and his passionate love affair with Fanny Brawne.

I am a big Jane Campion fan. She directed "The Piano" which I absolutely adored. It was a dark, damp film with Harvey Keitel and Holly Hunter. Campion has a Victorian sensibility and I love, love, love (did I say love?) the Victorian era for many reasons which I will not bore you with now. So a film directed by Campion about my favortite poet in pre-Victorian England -- we are talking supreme Heaven for me.

I was a little disappointed in the film, however. I don't mind talky films, but I had a hard time hearing what they were talking about! I thought Abbie Cornish as Fanny was excellent, and Paul Schneider as Keats' best friend and benefactor, Charles Brown, was scene stealing. For some reason, Ben Whishaw, who played Keats, just didn't have enough "umph" for me. He is handsome. He is skinny. But the other actors seemed to outshine him in my opinion.

Keats fell in love with Brawne after his initial impression of her was "she is ignorant - monstrous in her behaviours, flying out in all directions." Not too flattering, really! Fanny was into all things frilly -- fashion, sewing, silly novels, but not poetry, for goodness sakes! First impressions often go by the wayside, and this is what happened to these young lovers. On the plus side, they were both very short (five feet tall each! Yes, I said EACH!)

I won't tell the whole story because I don't want to ruin it for my movie-going fans out there, but as the film progresses it gets better and better. Keats' friend Brown warns him of the dangers of love - like the loss of all creative freedom, for instance. Fanny's ma is worried about her daughter marrying a poor schmuck with no bucks. So if you don't mind a slow start, I recommend it! Heck, anytime I can see British costumes and scenery as well as hear Brit accents reading poetry, I'm there, baby.

Today I want to close with the ultra romantic poem, "Bright Star" which Keats wrote for his beloved Fanny. Feel free to steal some lines from it for your Valentine's cards. (Oh, by the way, there is a great Valentine's day scene in the film, too...) Please note: poetry of this magnitude is best enjoyed with a spot of tea...

'Bright star! would I were steadfast as thou art'

Bright star! would I were steadfaast as thou art-
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors-
No-yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillowed upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft swell and fall,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever-or else swoon to death.


Cheerio!