The Poetry of Keats: Language and Experience

This is the first study of Keats to do real justice to him as both poet and philosopher. In doing so it presents a unique account of the creative mind.

David Pollard traces the intense dialogue between thinking and poetry which runs through all of Keats’ work. Keats has for too long been treated by critics as a naive genius, and his philosophical speculations written off as the indulgence of an immature talent.

The presiding genius throughout these essays is Martin Heidegger whose later work on the German poets, Hölderlin, Rilke and Mörike among others has now, for the first time, been applied to an English poet. Keats is foremost among the English poets who gives utterance to the poets’ experience with language and with no understanding of this, much of his poetic output remains a mystery.. Pollard also deals with the place of the critic and his approach to the poetic text and are exemplary of the withdrawal of critique in the face of the text and to allow Keats poetry to bring itself to thought.

This impressive study presents a bold new portrait of Keats as poet and philosopher by following his own critique of creativity within his poetry.

Price £12
ISBN 0-9514499-1-5

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