Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He stared at the Pacific–and all his men
Looked at each other with a wild surmise–
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

In "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer," Keats captures the exhilaration of literary discovery through vivid, celestial imagery. The poet compares his experience of reading Chapman's translation to that of an astronomer spotting a new planet, emphasizing the awe and revelation of encountering something wondrous. This cosmic analogy is then grounded in historical imagery, as Keats likens himself to the Spanish explorer Cortez upon first beholding the vast Pacific Ocean. Though factually incorrect—Balboa, not Cortez, discovered the Pacific—the comparison highlights the profound impact of Chapman's work on Keats. The "wild surmise" and the sense of being "silent, upon a peak in Darien" convey a moment of speechless wonder, evoking the romantic theme of exploration and the transformative power of art. This passage encapsulates the poet's profound awe and the timeless ability of literature to open new worlds to its readers.