Not the minutest whisper does it send

To the [o’erhanging sallows]; blades of grass

Slowly across the [checkered shadows] pass.

NOTES AND QUESTIONS

Biography. John Keats (1795-1821) was of humble birth, being the son of a London stablekeeper. He lived at the time of Wordsworth, Byron, Shelley, and Leigh Hunt, from all of whom he gathered inspiration. His years were few, and his fame did not come while he was living. He had a passion for beauty, which found expression in all his poetry. On account of failing health he went to Rome in 1820, where he died the year following.

Discussion. 1. Why does the poet say sweet peas are “on tiptoe for a flight”? 2. What are the wings of the sweet pea? 3. The poet tells of the perfect stillness of the moving water in the stream; what words does he use in lines immediately preceding to prepare you for this stillness? 4. What picture does the last sentence of the poem give you?

Phrases