Student Question
Is Hyperion the embodiment of Keats' concept of beauty?
Quick answer:
"Hyperion" embodies Keats' concept of beauty through its vivid descriptions of both human-made and natural forms. Keats draws on his study of Greek sculpture to depict human beauty in figures like Saturn and Thea, while also capturing the beauty of nature through poetic imagery of skies and dawns. This dual focus highlights Keats' belief in the integration of human and natural beauty, rather than their separation, reflecting his aesthetic philosophy.
The poem Hyperion by John Keats is representative of the poet’s concept of beauty in two basic respects.
First, his study of Greek sculpture as beauty in terms of human-made objects becomes clear in his clearly defined descriptions of forms such as Saturn and Thea in Book I, as well as the Titans in Book II.
From almost the opposite viewpoint, Keats is far from blind to the beauty of nature. He relates this to the gods that represent the forces of nature, but also describes them in a uniquely poetic tone. This type of poetry is exemplary of Keats. His descriptions of the evening and morning sky, the angry sunset, and a grey, misty dawn are created with a truly aesthetic sense of beauty.
Keats marries these two divergent types of beauty almost seamlessly in his poem, creating a conception of beauty that is not the separation of humanity and nature, but rather their cooperation.
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