Quote Of The Day By John Keats: 'Poetry Should Be Great And...'

Often considered one of the great young poets of the Romantic era, John Keats was born in London on October 31, 1795. He rose to prominence during the 1810s and is perhaps best known for the six legendary odes he penned throughout 1819, before he even turned 24.

Just as haunting as Keats' melancholic words is the fact that he died tragically young, having only recently completed his most influential works. After falling ill with tuberculosis, the poet passed away in February 1821, when he was just 25. Nethertheless, his legacy carries on to this day, in multiple forms, no less. For example, there's the 2009 film "Bright Star," which chronicles his romance with Fanny Brawne (and is something you really should check it out if you're a fan of "Bridgerton").

More than that, it's clear Keats was wise beyond his years, and had an undeniable grasp on exactly what makes great poetry. So, given that we've featured quotes from fellow poets like Mary Oliver and Emily Dickinson, it only stands to reason we'd feature Keats as our Quote of the Day at some point, too.

"Poetry should be great and unobtrusive, a thing which enters into one's soul, and does not startle it or amaze it with itself, but with its subject."

Those are the words John Keats wrote as a piece of advice to fellow poet John Hamilton Reynolds in a letter dated February 1818 — exactly three years before the former's death. Elsewhere in his letter, Keats opined that poets and readers alike tend to "hate poetry that has a palpable design upon us," particularly when that design is not one with which they vibe.

With that in mind, it's clear Keats had a firm position on what good poetry should and shouldn't attempt to do as far as the reader is concerned.

In his letter to John Hamilton Reynolds, John Keats clearly stated that good poetry only needs to concern itself with being good poetry, not with trying to convince the reader it's good. Furthermore, poets should use the precious few words they've allotted themselves to give their chosen topic its due rather than pat themselves on the back for how clever they are. To put it another way, if you create something truly worthwhile, people will recognize its value on their own.

Keats' additional comment about how "we hate poetry that has a palpable design upon us" is also very revealing about his distaste for works he found to be too heavy-handed or overly preachy. This remark shows he was well aware that most people can tell when a piece of writing is deliberately attempting to manipulate their opinions or emotions. All of this to say, rest in peace, John Keats. You would have hated Oscar-bait movies.

• "Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced — even a proverb is no proverb to you till your life has illustrated it."
• "Many have original minds who do not think it — they are led away by custom — now it appears to me that almost any man may like the spider spin from his own inwards his own citadel."
• "A poet is the most unpoetical of anything in existence; because he has no identity — he is continually informing — and filling some other body."
• "Some think I have lost that poetical ardour and fire 'tis said I once had- the fact is, perhaps I have; but, instead of that, I hope I shall substitute a more thoughtful and quiet power."
• "'If I should die,' said I to myself, 'I have left no immortal work behind me — nothing to make my friends proud of my memory — but I have loved the principle of beauty in all things, and if I had had time I would have made myself remembered.'"