Discuss Endymion in the light of Romanticism.

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Emile Khan

Discuss Endymion in the light of Romanticism

Romanticism is defined as: An artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual's expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions. The concept of romanticism was embraced by a number of poets in the late 18th and early 19th century, including Jonathan Keats, who went on to write many poems of the romantic theme, Endymion being one of those.

Keats wrote the epic ‘Endymion’ between 1817 and 1818. The poem focuses predominantly on the adventures of a young shepherd named Endymion, the story having been derived from Greek Mythology. One of the principal themes in the poem is that of Nature, and the way it can be associated with human moods and feelings. The theme of natural religion is also used to a considerable extent, as is the importance of natural genius and imagination. Keats also tends to exalt certain individuals in ‘Endymion’. The poem is divided into four books, each of which concentrates on these themes to a different extent.

Book 1 is the largest of the four books, so it encompasses more of the themes than the others. The effect of this is that the reader is given the full experience of what can be expected in the entire poem, to prepare the reader and manipulate their thoughts and impressions throughout the poem. Book 1 opens with a description of nature, somewhat irrelevant from the story of the poem, but having the effect of putting the reader, as well as the author in a positive and pleasant frame of mind. The story of Endymion begins with a pastoral scene; ‘upon the sides of Latmos was outspread a might forest; for the moist earth fed so plenteously all weed-hidden roots into o’er-hanging boughs and precious fruits’. This is a trademark of a romantic poem, with copious detail of the natural setting coupled with positive and aesthetically pleasing imagery. The scene progresses into a celebration and sacrifice at a temple to the Greek God Pan, and at the same time associating nature into the scene, thus creating the theme of natural religion. Romanticism also includes simplicity and uncivilised ways of living, and the way in which Keats describes the scene displays this to the reader very well. He focuses on shepherds, who are usually associated with times and places where people are relatively uncivilised, reminding the reader that the story is set in much simpler times. Among the shepherd is a man named Endymion, is exalted by Keats as being superior to his peers in every way, even being compared to Ganymede, the boy so beautiful that he was abducted by Zeus to be made cup bearer to the Gods. This tendency to exalt an individual is another mark of a Romantic poet, and is used to a great extent throughout ‘Endymion’.

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Book 1 continues with the young shepherd Endymion being visited in his dream by Cynthia, Goddess of the moon, also known as Diane or Selene. Keats uses moods of nature to put across the mood that the characters are feeling at this time, for example ‘O magic sleep! O comfortable bird, that broodest o’er the troubled sea of the mind’ this quote refers to the troubled sea of the mind, meaning that Endymion had been suffering from turbulent thoughts, which were clarified by sleep and helped him to understand what was going on in his mind. Endymion dreams about ...

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