Keats and Spenser

KEATS AND SPENSER

A DSSERTAT ON

PRESENTED TO THE P HILO S O P HICA L FA CULT !

O F T HE

UNIVERS IT ! O F HEIDELBERG

FOR T HE ACQUISITION OF T HE DEGREE

D O CT O R O F P HILO S O P H!

HE ID E LBE R G

N E D B! E GE I E N D O R FE R PRI T . S

1897 .

Co n t e n t s

I . In troduction

1 T he esent tate tic u n he . Pr S of Cri ism po t Relation between Keats and Spenser

2 T he O b ec i e . j t of Th s Pap r

hi l E id n c n d s II . Biogra p ca v e e a P e r on al T e stim on y

L n ua e III . a g g ,

’ Mr rn s e s s s 1 . t n e n . . W. T A old Lis of Sp ria Word in Keat

’ 2 urthe aces the enseri n E e en in . F r Tr of Sp a l m t Ke ats D iction

3 s an ase B we r enser . Word d Phr s P r o bab l y orro d f om Sp

“ 4 T he e s in a n ens . n m t ti p er Li ! I i o of S

5 umm r . S a y

IV M e tr . e

V S ub e ct-M at nd d f m n . j te r a M e tho o T re at e nt. S e suousn e ss a n d Chiv alry Index of Words Compared Literature

n r duc i n . I. I t o t o

I T he P resent S tate of Criticism upon the on b w n K a and S n r Relati et ee e ts pe se .

Certain critics have maintained that the genius of John Keats was to a gre at extent moulded by his study of the poetical works of Edmund Spenser . Lord Houghton ’ ’ says , ,, Not only are the Lines in imitation of Spenser, ff with the exception of some indi erent sonnets, the ear of liest known verses his composition, but the stream of his inspiration remained long coloured by the rich

N or soil over which it then ﬂowed . will the just critic of the maturer poems of Keats fail to trace much that at ﬁrst appears forced and fantastical both in idea and in expression, and suspect that some of the very de fe cts to extra , which are commonly attributed an va u gant originality, may be disting ished as proceeding too m for b ut from a indiscri inate reverence a great, “ l unequal, model . )

Beautiful are the words of Mr . M atthew Arnold in which he refers to Keats as the one modern inhe r ’ ite r of Spenser s beautiful gift ; the poet who evidently caught from Spenser his sweet and easy- slipping move u ment, and who has exq isitely employed it ; a Spenserian

’ 1 e t et c ne ed XI ) K a s o a or s , d . p . V. P i l W k Al i , ro genius, nay, a genius by natural endowment richer p bably than even Spenser ; that light which shines so w f t unexpected and ithout ellow in our cen ury, an Eli sab e than t d born too late, the early los and a mirably gifted Keats “ )

Again , Mr . W . T . Arnold declares , ,, The strongest literary inﬂuence exercised by any one writer upon the mind of Keats was that exercised by Spenser . Leigh ’ Hunt s inﬂuence is strongly marked only in his earliest, that of Milton only in his latest work ; but n ot only is Spenser everywhere both in the volume of juvenile ’ o E n d m l on p ems and in y , but one of Keats latest and ’

m . most beautiful poe s, St Agnes Eve, is perhaps the of of ﬁnest example the use the Spenserian stanza, out w of of Spenser, in the hole range English verse . Spenser was his ﬁrst love in poetry and even Milton and Shaks ’ pere did not cause him to be forgotten in Keats ma “ 2 turer years . )

M r. v The eminent critic, Sidney Col in (followed by

3 - . a v u Mr Forman ) , grees with the abo e q oted as to the general inﬂuence of Spenser upon the poetical work of t k ff Kea s, but ta es a slightly di erent View as regards the juvenile poem called the Imitation of Spenser . He

: t says ,, Although , indeed, the poe s whom Keats loved the best both ﬁrst and last were those of the E lisab e than age , it is clear that his own earliest verses were modelled timidly on the work of writers nearer his ow n time . His professedly Spenserian lines resemble not so much Spenser as later writers who had written

’ e b Mr e e c s 1 ! uot d . . . rno d , K ats o t a or ondon , ) y W T A l P i l W k , L 1888 XXV p . . , ’ d ld 1888 2 e t et c e . K a s o a r s . . rno , ondon , , ) P i l Wo k , W T A L — IV pp . XXIII XX . 3 T he e c e ed ) o t a or s o ohn K ats . orman , ondon , P i l W k f J , F L 896 V 1 , p. X III . in of his measure, and these not the latest, Byron, but

e on rather such milder minstrels as Sh nstone , Thoms , and Beattie , or most of all perhaps the sentimental

Irish poetess Mrs . Tighe ; whose P s y c h e had become

of very popular since her death, and by its richness versification imagery, and flowing and musical , takes a n place, now too little recog ised, among the pieces pre luding the romantic movement of the The view of the last nam ed critic as to the general ’ character of Keats first poem appears in a somewhat

’ ’ modified form in J . Hoops article entitled Keats Jagend “ und Jugendgedichte In seinen fibrige n Juge nddich tungen tritt allerdings der E influss der Litteratur des

1 zu 8. Jahrhunderts vielfach unverkennbar Tage ; aber “ aus den vier Stan z en der Imitation of Spenser das zu w d snb e ctiv selbe entnehmen ollen, scheint och etwas j geurtheilt ; sie k onne n ebenso gut von Spenser direct i “ 2 W e von seinen Nachfolgern b e einﬂusst sein . ) A sharp contrast to all the preceding criticism is

n n . . w ho . s fur ished by the opi ion of Mr W M Ro setti, ’ finds even in Keats whole first volume of poems (publi ’ shed in 1 81 7) little in which Spenser s influence is par t n in amoun , and is inclined to de y to Spenser any

’ ﬂuen ce upon Keats latest and best productions . Here

: are his words As we have seen, Keats began versify ing chiefly under a S penserean influence ; and it has been suggested that this influence remained puissant for harm as well as for good up to the close of his n u poetic career . I do ot see much force in the s gges e in hi tion ; unl ss t s limited sense that Spenser, like E lisabethan other and Jacobean poets his successors, allowed himself very considerable latitude in saying h a d or e w atever c me into his hea , relevant irr levant,

1 e s b d 188 21 ) K at ne o v n ond n , 9 p . . y Si y C l i , L o , 2 E t d 239 ) ngl . S u . XXI . . a far- f h d i le ppropriate or jarring, obvious or etc e , s mp i of or grandiose, accord ng to the mood the moment of and the swing composition , and thus the whole strain presents an aspect more of rich and arbitrary picturesqueness than of ordered suavity . And Keats no doubt often did the same : but not in the choicest of nor so productions his later time , perhaps much under incitement from Spenser as in pursuance of that revolt from a factitious and constrained model of work d in which Wordsworth in one irection , Coleridge in d another, and Leigh Hunt in a thir , had already come forward with practice and precept . Making allowance for few a early attempts directly referable to Spenser, ’ fi t I find, even in Keats s rs volume, little in which that influence is paramount . He seems to have written b e ui m cause his perceptions were q ck, his sy pathies vivid in i u to certain directions, and his energ es wound p n of poetic endeavour . The ma nerisms thought, method,

a nd m of of diction, are much ore those Hunt than Spenser ; and it is extrem ely probable that the sore ness against Hunt which Keats evidenced at a later period was due to his perceiving that that kindly friend and genial literary ally had misled him into some poe tic n ot to n trivialities and absurdities, less than a ything in himself which could be taken hold of for complain t “ )

f h Pa 2 h O c o r . . T e bje t T is pe

A glance through the preceding pages will make it evident that there is a considerable difference of Opinion among critics as to the actual relations existing between Keats and Spenser ; the question being a rather one it to e important , may be worth while ent r into a

— 1 M s 1 887 164 165 . eat b . . ett . ) K s y W Ros i , London , pp de ta iled study of the e xte nt an d the charac te r of the inﬂue nce left upon the poe try of Ke a ts by his studv of ense r t the me ts o m Sp . Wi h ri r de erits of the tw o poets w e have nothing to do ; nor will auv atte mpt be ma de

' to draw a compa rison b etw ee n the e xte nt of Spe nse r s inﬂuence upon Kea ts and tha t e xe rcise d b v othe r w rite rs sa ve where the inﬂuence of the forme r might be ca lled in to question .

In a n nv st at n of h s atu is c ea r a i e ig io t i n re, it l th t the ost a a e if not the m s m ta f m p lp bl . o t i por nt, proo is to foun d ﬁrs of all in the t ce e . a s e t b th o be t , r l f y ne w r te on e n a e an h i r up th la gu g d t e me tre of the othe r. se con ou e of ev nce and one in tse of er A d s rc ide , i lf p a ea te con e enc b ut o e fﬁt n h ps gr r s qu e , m r di to poi t out t an the f m w l be u ed b the o ce h or er, i l f rnish y ch i

- m t wi th of subj ect at e r th e gene ral method of trea tment.

Bio ra hical E vid nc and II. g p e e

P ersonal T estimony.

’ Be fore proceeding to an exam ination of Keats

m a e oft- e ac poetry, it y be pr per to notice the repeat d e em count of his ﬁrst acquaintance with Spenser . It s s that his friend Cowden Clarke re ad to him the E pitha

a 1 813 l mion. probably in the year , lending him at the e t hi same time a copy of the Faerie Que ne , ,, hrough w ch “ t r w he went, wri es Clarke , ,, as a young ho se ould — “ through a Spring meadow ramping . His reading was accompanied more over by signs of a love for word

c m for pictures and poeti al i ages ; instance , says his he f u and friend, ,, hoisted himsel p looked burly and

‘ ’ s dominant, as he said, What an image that is ea shouldering e Similar t stimony is given by Charles Brown , one ’ of Keats most intimate friends . Though born to be of a poet, he was ignorant his birthright until he had

completed his eighteenth year . It was the Faerie Queene ’ that awakened his genius . In Spenser s fairy land he

was enchanted, breathed in a new world, and became n atte m another bei g ; till, enamoured of the stanza, he p t hi of ted to imi ate it, and succeeded . T s account his f poetic powers I ﬁrst received rom his brothers, and

afterwards from himself. This, his earliest attempt, the of fi of Imitation Spenser, is in his rst volume poems, and it is peculiarly interesting to those acquainted with “ his history . A glance through the letters of Keats will suffice to indicate the position which Spenser occupied in his ff a ections, as well as the strong influence exerted by of the Faerie Queene upon his method thought . In a

1 81 7 to . letter written in May, , his publishers, Messrs

: Taylor and Hessey, he says I am extremely indebted to you for your liberality in the shape of manufactured £ 20 rag, valued , and shall immediately proceed to destroy some of the minor heads of that hydra the Dun ; the n to conquer which k ight need have no Sword, u Herb ad eon Shield, C irass Cuisses, g , Spear, Casque ,

e P aldrons Gr aves, , spurs, Chevron, or any other scaly

commodity, but he need only take the Banknote of of the Faith and Cash Salvation, and set out against or Ur anda monster, invoking the aid of no Archimago g , ’ m e but ﬁnger the paper, light as the Sybil s leaves in V the off t b e irgil , whereat ﬁend skulks wi h his tail

. t tween his legs Touch him with his enchanted paper, ’ and he whips you his he ad away as fast as a snail s horn — but then the horrid propensity he has to put it up again has discouraged many valiant Knights

I think I could make a nice little allegorical poem , ’ ’ called The Dun, where we would have the Castle of d Carelessness , the Drawbridge of Cre it , Sir Novelty ’ “ 1 Fashion s expedition against the City of Tailors, etc . etc . ) n t n 1 1 Agai , in a le ter writte in 8 7 to his friend n now Rey olds , he ,, Just I Opened Spenser, and the ﬁrst Lines I saw were these ’ The noble heart that harbours virtuous thought, of s t And is with child gloriou great inten , Can never rest until it forth have brought

’ Th eternal brood of glory excellent Noteworthy too are the lines written by Keats to n Brawne Fan y , about nine months before his death :

,, For this Week past I have been employed in marking f n the most beauti ul passages in Spenser, intendi g it for m you, and comforting yself in being somehow occupied v o to gi e y u however small a pleasure . It has lightened my time very much . I am much better . God bless you “ ) the n the These lines , written by dyi g Keats to

of he ar ul t woman his love , more powerf tes imony to the depth of his affection for Spenser than is to be f in of f in ound all the evidence his riends , and all the criticism of his critics . v n Besides the e idence co tained in the letters, the

’ to allusions Spenser are in Keats poetry itself, as even s the most cur ory reader may perceive, extremely nu n merens. Attention may be called here to the So net

’ 1 e t e te s ed ee es and r e K a s t r orman , ond n v u n r ) L , F L o , R T , 1895 21 , p . . 2 b 1 1 ) d . p . . I i , 3 b 488 ) I i d . , p . . to and to the following stanz a from the O de to Apollo ? ) v t A sil er trumpe Spenser blows, as t c And, its mar ial notes to silen e ﬂee , From a virgin chorus ﬂows A h of ymn in praise spotless Chastity, ’ Tis still ! Wild warblings from the Aeolian lyre “ h and r n e . E c antment softly breathe , tremblingly xpi e T he stanza is of peculiar interest as furnishing an example of the critical ability of the youthful Keats ; n the t l of n Spe ser , mos intense y sensuous all E glish for the l f and the poets , is preeminent purity of his i e , o chastity f his lines .

. Lan a III gu ge .

W d’ L 1 . . Mr. T . Arnol s ist of S penserian Words

in Keats .

T o Mr . W . T . Arnold belongs the credit of having made the ﬁrst attempt to point out the exact extent

’ of i the Spenser an element in Keats diction . In the in ’ troduction his of t to edition Keats poe ical works, from

’ : t which I have already quoted , he says Keats imi a of n to n n tion Spenser desce ds even poi ts of spelli g, and the following words were undoubtedly derived from

’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ n him percea t, raught, libbard , seemlihed , espial , ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ and w ox shent unshent, , besprent, grisly (spelt by

1 T he et ca k n e ed a ) o or s o oh K ats . orm n ondon , P i l W f J , F , L ’ 1896 . 335. e e e ce are a to a e , p R f r n s lways Form n s dition .

2 b . . 337 ) I i d , p . eats te a e of and K , af r the m nn r Spenser, ’ ’ ’ a daedal . I should point to the s me source for be ads

’ ’ ’ ’ ’ m an ass ed e acte e e a , p ion , cov rt (a char ristic Sp ns ri n ’ ’ ’ ’ ’

a and . . n we word) , s llows eterne In St Ag es Eve ’ ’ ’ have the curious form tinct and lucent syrops tinct

’ n with cinn amon . The only other instance I k ow of this

’ word is in the Shepherd s Calendar for November ’ ’

the w n t c . ble in black, the gree e in gray is in t There is a curious past participle in the ﬁrst book of Endy 4 ’ mion (I . 33 ) and the raft branch dow n sweeping ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ B ra from a tall ash top . y ft occurs in Chaucer s Knight s ’ ’ ’ b e raft e in and Tale, twic the Shepherd s Calendar, the

’ ’ ’ a u t a s ct al participle raf , without the preﬁx, in Chapm n

’ Homer (II . XI . 332) Tydides from his breast had ’ spoil d and from his shoulder raft His ta rget and his l ’ so id helm . Keats had probably note d the use in all ’ ’ three authors . For Keats frequent use of the word im a ’ geries in the plural the only parallel I can ﬁn d (apart ’ f n a d e rom those in Ten yson s Gareth n Lynett , and ’ a a Pater s Im ginary Portr its, which were probably sug te s ges d by one or other of the pas ages in Keats) , is ’ “ 1 in Spenser s Ruines of Time . ) T he following examples will sufﬁce to show the usa h ge of the words which ave been noted by Mr . W .

T. Arnold :

b e a d sm a n . b e a d sm e s in . The word a n , used by K at St Agnes n ? f m e a d m e n Eve, is found in Spe ser ) in the plural or b ,

far : E f n and so as I know, once only tsoo e s unto a n Hos itall f she did holy p , that was oreby the way,

i - 10 him bring ; In wh ch seven Bead men (I . ,

V— 1 t . . XXV ) In ro , pp XXI . ’ 2) Re ferences are always to the Globe e dition of Spenser s M cm l Co 18 . 9 or s, ndon, a an 3 . W k Lo i l , b e s p r e n t In Spenser Morne nowe, my Muse, now morne b es rin t . . with teares p (Shep Cal for Nov . p . My

: head besprent with hoary frost I fynd (Shep . Cal . for “ . . f Dec p Spenser also has the orm ,, sprent A nd otherwhere the snowy substaunce sprent with ver 2 2 . . 1 18 . 34 5 . mell (II , also IV , ; p s: In Keat Her mouth foamed, and the grass,

e a . therewith b sprent (Lami , I c o v e r t In S penser : E nforst to seek e some covert nigh him . 1 t at hand (I , Through that thick cover he l . 7 k ee es f ed (II , And p in coverts close rom living

9 . 6 W . ight (II , In that same shady covert (III , II 6 of t I . And in the thickest covert hat shade ( , 2 Amongst the ﬂags and covert round about (V . , 2 . 20 V V 2 10 1 1 . I I . 5 1 7 . 5 2 also VI , ; . , ; , ; VI , ; VI 10 4 1 . 4 74 . 6 1 . 5 , ; VII , ; p in In Keats As late I rambled the happy ﬁelds, What time the sky - lark shakes the tremulous dew

From his lush clover covert (Sonnet to Wells, p . and clear rills that for themselves a cooling covert ’ make Gainst the hot season (End . I . coverts inner most and drear (End . III . He sprang from his green covert (End . IV . Where Porphyro took covert H h . t . of . (Eve St Agnes, st . XXI) ; I know e covert ( yp I

. e here found they covert drear (Hyp . II Ther n o f was covert (Hyp . III . coverts resh (in a can

o . celled passage f Endymion, p noteworthy too

- is the form b r e a k c o v e r t (Isabella, st. XXVIII)

- break covert blood hounds . d a e d a l a

In Spenser His daedale hand (Intro . III . Then doth the daedale earth throw forth to thee Out

rui n ab oun dant ﬂowres IV. 10 of her f tfu lap ( , In daedal Keats I have no e heart ( E nd.

IV.

In Spenser at V 1 I . 0 d ( , Known by good markes and perfect goo e s iall 4 p (V . , In Keats with aged eyes aghast from fright l ia o . e S f . . of dim p (Eve St Agnes, st XXI)

e t e r n e . bs aunce su t . 6 In Spenser That is eterne (III , i I 6 mutabil tie II. eterne in ( , e l ! In K ats Eterne Apol o (End . III. Open thine eyes eterne (Hyp . I .

g r i s l y . 4 In Spenser griesly Pluto (I . , griesly

. 5 e e 5 Night (I , darke griesly l ke (I . , griesly 1 1 9 of l . thing (I . , like the griesly mouth he l (I , l P n 1 lutoes . w ow d . a griesly (I , griesly rayne (II

7 shadow e s . 7 a , griesly (II , gryesly gr ple 1 1 l 12 ment (II . , grise y mouth (II . , The griesly 12 12 . Wassermann (II . , griesly night (II , 2 4 . I. I 1 1 . 3 II 1 4 II . 1 7 67 1 . also , ; , ; III , ; III , ; III 4 7 1 II 12 1 1 6 1 I . 0 . 67 4 . 4 52 3 . , ; III , ; III , ; III , ; , ; 2 V IV 4 48 I 4 . 5 3 . 4 12 1 2 15 . 2 . 9 . III , ; IV , ; IV , ; , ; , ;

V. 8 4 7 2 1 1 . 3 . 2 IV. 3 7 33 IV , ; IV . , ; V , ; , ; 2 9 4 1 . 1 2 16 12 2 3 7 8 . 0 . 8 . . 33 V , ; V , ; V , ; V , ; VI , ; 12 2 1 . 6 2 . 7 . 1 43 1 1 6 . 6 4 0 5 1 . VI , ; VI , ; VI , VI . ; VI , ; 537 . 481 484 491 493 499 5 02 508 5 10 536 pp , , , , , , , , , , 5 9 54 52 3 3 5 590 . , , ,

In Keats Half seen through deepest gloom, and griesly gapes (End . II .

i m a g e r i e s. In Spenser Wrought with faire pillours and

ﬁne imageries (Ruines of Time, p . a s : so In Ke t So white the linen, , in some dis tinct Ran imageries from a sombre loom (Reconstruction 1 f . 7 n o . 3 Hyp p , li e She lifted up her soft warm chin, ’ c m da d With a hing neck and swim ing eyes, And z with 98 s of . . 3 l aintly imageries, (Eve St Mark, p , ine

l i b b a r d .

. 6 In Spenser the Libbard sterne (I , the 3 n ﬂying Libbard (II . , Was hunti g then the Lib

. 7 . bards (IV , Had hunted late the Libbard (VII

7 of i . , the Grecian Libbard (Ruines T me, p

In Keats Twelve sphered tables, by silk seats ’ ’ ’ ins her d of re ar d p , High as the level a man s breast ’ On libbard s paws (Lamia , II .

p a s s i o n e d .

In Spenser : Great wonder had the knight to

straun el . 9 see the mayd So g y passioned (II , By lively actions he began bewray Some argument of matter I I 2 I . 1 passioned ( ,

: of nor In Keats Nor sigh his, plaint, nor pas ’ I sion d I . moan (End . By a clear pool , wherein ’ she passioned To see herself escap a from so sore ills “

. in (Lamia, I Passion also occurs as a verb 248 the present tense in End . I . turtles passion ’ their voices cooingly mong myrtles .

p e r c e a n t In Spense r Yet wondrous quick and pe rsaunt tw o was his spright (I . In her faire eyes living S o lamps did ﬂame, passing persant the 9 persant aire (III . , ’ : In Keats the sophist s eye, Like a sharp spear, t n went through her utterly, Keen , cruel , perceant, s ingi g

(Lamia, II .

s e e m l i h e d . In Spenser And by his persons secret seem l he IV d . 8 y ( , In Keats And then his tongue with sober seem IV l d . ihe (End .

n s s h e t and u n h e n t . ’ ’ m a n th In Spenser How y it be, sayd the e i f h h h kn ght hal e wroth, That Knig t should knig t ood ever

n . 1 re rochfull h so have she t (II , And with p s ame

h . 1 mine honour s ent (II , And all enraged thus 5 i him . e n loudly shent (II , And l ght doe sh ne for 4 of . . 33 8 feare being shent (III , also III ; V . , 6 1 8 . 3 6 44 6 3 . 7 . 7 . 4 45 2 . . 3 ; VI , ; VI , ; VI , ; VI , ; VI , “ The negative form unshent seems not to be used by

Spenser . In Keats The patient weeds : that now unshent 2 ’ f . 7 by oam (Sleep and Poetry, p , line He ll be ’ shent (End . IV . As though in Cupid s college she S had pent Sweet days a lovely graduate, still unshent

(Lamia, I . this meek lady, Here sitting like an

- 0 2 angel newly shent ( tho the Great, III . ,

w o x .

Careles In Spenser se the man soone wexe (II .

6 e . 8 , W xe sore afraid (II , And insolent wox 10 . end through unwonted ease (II , Nigh his wits ’ oxe th am aze d then w knight (II . also II . 4 2 III 5 43 6 1 9 0 5 . . . 1 33 . III, , ; , ; III , ; III , ; IV

IV. 4 . 2 4 5 5 7 8 3 1 8 46 I . 1 2 20 . V IV , ; IV , ; , ; IV . , ; , ;

6 . 1 9 2 9 4 1 . 20 . 4 2 9 . 6 . 4 V , ; V , ; VI , ; VI , ; VI , ; 4 65 . 5 . 446 . 59 p . ; p ; p w ox In Keats Pale I, and in vapours hid my

T he one - face (Hyp . I . he struck stone blind, the ’ ox i other s eyes w dim (Spenser an S t. W ri tten at th e of of the C l o s e C ant o II, B o o k V , F a e rie Qu een e,

p . of . . A number the words noted by Mr W T . Arnold h “ s . . of . are used by S ak pere beadsman (T G Ver I . “ “ . 2 1 2 . t the plural ,, beadsmen (R III , ,, cover

4 6 . . . 3 . . 6 4 2 1 (W. T . IV , ; Hen VI III , ; Rom and Jul . “ V 1 . . I 1 . 1 l . 4 8 . 3 6 , ,, espia ( Hen VI I , ; , ; Ham . “ 2 1 32 n . 3 . . 8 . 2 III , ) eter e (Macb . III , ; Ham II , “ . 14 . 4 . 1 0 1 . . 4 . . 7 Lucr grisly (M N D V , ; Hen VI I , ; . “ 2 “ 2 i . . . 9 6 . m . ) l bbard (L L L V , ,, passions (Te p “

24 . . 1 . of V . , ; V . and A ,, passioning (T G Ver . “

2 . 1 . . 1 4 7 . . . . IV . , ; L L L I , ,, raught (L L L IV.

6 1 2 1 . 2 . 4 4 . . 1 3 3 2 1 . 3 , ; Hen . V IV , ; Hen VI , ; Hen . “

V . 4 6 . 9 I 1 . 8 . . , ; Ant and Cleo IV , and ,, shent

4 . I 12 . 38 V 2 1 . . 2 (Mer Wives, I , ; T Night, , ; Cor . V . , “ - 104 Ham . . 2 M ; III , ilton has dew besprent “ 3 9 6 . . . 3 4 693 409 : 9 435 (C ,, covert (P L , ; , ; , , ; 0 2 94 I “ . 1 3 5 2 . 5 I . . 26 P R , ; , ; C ; P ,, grisly (P . L . 4 0 2 04 4 . . 1 670 7 82 1 430 . 6 3 , ; , ; , ; P R , ; C ; H . “ “ . 7 he . n and ,, libbard (P L , Again, t form eter e 4 . 4 occurs not only in Shakspere and Chaucer (K T . 6 ; 448 1132 1492 1555 2 146 ; ; ; ; and probably elsewhere) , but is also used by William Browne (Brit. Past . I. m s fro whom Keat took the motto for the Epistles, and o wh se inﬂuence upon Keats has not yet, in my Opinion , f been made the subject O a thorough investigation .

2 u h f El m t . F rt er T races o the S penseri an e en in K a ’ D on e ts icti .

In addition to the results Obtained by Mr . W . T .

’ ’ of Arnold in his study Keats vocabulary, Keats usage of f the ollowing words may, I think, be referred with ’ a high degree of certainty to Spenser s inﬂuence : a m a t e . In S p ens e r Or the blind G od that doth me

. 1 thus amate (I , For never knight, that dared ss dissad entures m warlike deed, More luckle v did a ate

cheard frien des His countenance that his , h 1 did is a . and foes mate (II , Ye been right hard

ratious II. 2 ! who amated, g Lord ( , But ah can deceive his sle e e s destiny that, when he p in most security

se eme s him . 4 And safest , soonest doth amate (III ,

HI. 7 So him he held and did through might amate ( ,

But in the Porch, that did them sore amate, a ﬂaming 1 1 w her ﬁre (III . , That hen she saw, it did much

. 2 amate (IV , He then afresh with new encourage assa le 3 ment Did him y , and mightily amate (IV . ,

. 4 6 2 28 . 1 1 1 . 9 . . 2 4 6 1 also V , ; V , ; V , ; VII , ’ In K e at s Thou didst die A half- blown ﬂow re t

to n . which cold blasts amate (Sonnet Chatterto , p

a t w e e n .

T hrise man f s In Sp en s er happy , who are them 1 t a e ene . at ene tw w e . 6 bo h (II , them (II , b II 5 t atw eene I . wo her lilly andes ( , other Knights 4 atwe ene . s (IV , From her faire eye wiping the t stild deawy wet Which sof ly , and kissing them atw eene

. 7 w 1 1 (IV , And thrown his shield at een (V . , A w m ld t ene . 6 that Ladie y and recreant knight (VI , n 2 atw ee e . 1 But he, Did cast his shield (VI , i him atw eene a bonie swaine , That Cuddy h ght , thus

. S rinck le d bespake (Colin Clout, p p with perle, ﬂ w r tw e en E i s o es a . m and perling e ( p th p . And se e t atw een e to laugh thy twinkling light (E pith. p . In Ke ats Atween the pillars of the sylvan ’ . O r n n t roof (p hand of hym ing A gel, when is seen The silver strings of heavenly harp atween n d Leavi g Some Frien s, p . b a l e .

In Spenser F or light she hated as the deadly 1 S he bale (I . , fedd her wound with fresh renewed I . 7 7 39 bale (I , my bitter bale ( . , ) And secret T h’ ! poyson through their inner partes, eternal bale of h heavie . 8 e to wounded harts (I , Yett still strove 9 cloke his inward bale (I . , our feeble harts Em u h i . 2 . n a e bost with bale (I such pp bale (II , d faultie Handm a did . Her y , which that bale breede (II

4 v . , Which thee to endless bale capti ed lead (II

4 . 1 3 2 . 1 2 . 7 5 6 3 2 3 . 7 , also II , ; II , ; III , ; III , ;

24 . 4 . 5 29 3 17 . 5 7 39 . . I . 8 V , ; V , ; V , ; VI , ; VI , ; VI

. fo . . 481 10 8 10 29 . . r 10 3 . , ; VI , ; VI , ; Shep Cal Nov p ; ’ nd D 54 507 a 50 a hnaida . 6 . 8 Virgil s Gnat, pp ; p , p ;

0 . 56 . 573 . Astrophel , p . ; Sonnets, II p

: In Keats the tale of young Narcissus , and sad ’ 10 h . Ec o s bale (I Stood Tiptoe upon a Little Hill, p , so line in all this We miscall grief, bale, sorrow , heartbreak , woe (End . IV .

d i s t r a u g h t .

’ ’ frantick e In Spenser What ﬁt, (quoth he) hath 9 hil di t ? . w est thus straugh Thee (I , Thus their 3 u . minds were doubtf lly distraught (IV , he raught of di her such an huge stroke , that it sence straught ’ 8 4 i enfelon d t . her (V . , l ke one or distraugh (V , t And all his wi s with doole were nigh distraught (VI . f 1 1 one robd o . , like to distraught and reason (VI 49 5 . 1 1 n of . , also Rui es Time, p The participial f - O f Be autie orm in cd occurs in An Hymne Heavenly , 6 . 0 p 2 . U t In Keats Thus on I thought, n il my head w as dizzy and distraught (End . I . why is my eternal essence thus distraught To see and to behold these horrors new ? (Hyp . I . d r e a r i m e nt .

In Spenser : Full Of sad feare and ghastly dreri

E n r ld s smou dr n dre ri . 2 o l i ment (I , in ﬂame , and g d i e rer m nt . ment (I . in her sad (I ghastly 1 reri drerim ent . d (II , she ﬂed away with ghastly 4 s O ff drerim ent ment (II . , haking his drowsy (II .

6 drerim ent . 7 dre rim en t , hideous (II , hellish

. 7 2 7 3 26 . 1 4 . 0 4 4 . (III. , also IV , ; V , ; VI , ; Shep 480 . 4 1 . 9 E i . . th Cal for Nov p ; Ruines of Time, p . ; p

587 . p .

: i In Keats And her palanqu n , Rested amid the ’

s s st. I de ert s dreariment (The Cap and Bell , XL V , p .

e m p i e r c e d .

In Spenser : ruth em perced de epe in that K nightes hart If ever love of Lady did empierce your s 6 ! bre te s II. m yron ( , Ne mortal steele e perce his m 7 t te II. iscrea d mould ( , He stroke so hugely wi h his b orrowd em ierst n blade, That it p the Pagans burga et 8 A n d m a les (II . , through the linked y empierced

III. 5 em ierst dee e com assiow ne quite ( , p with p p III 9 . F or v ( , privy lo e his brest empierced had 1 2 9 . 1 1 . 1 . 1 . 7 33 . 5 3 (III , also IV , ; V , ; V , ; VI D ’ 5 . a hn ida 4 3 2 . 5 9 26 12 4 a . 5 , ; VI , ; p , p ; Colin Clout, p ; 5 0 59 . 1 . . 6 Astrophel , p ; Hymne Of Heavenly Love , p ’ : em ierc d In Keats The Emperor, p with the sharp

of . . . sting love (The Cap and Bells, st XV p fr a y

friendes In Spenser To aide his , or fray his 1 enemies (I . , What frayes ye , that were wont to ffr d 1 a a ? . comfort me y (I , The Lyon frayed them 3 S O (I . , diversly them selves in vaine they fray 12 ra . f d (I , But as a man whom hellish ﬁends have y 8 s h (II . , In tead of fraying, t ey them selves did feare f 1 . 3 12 . 12 15 u O . 2 (II , also III , ; V , ; R ines Rome , 9 580 E ith . 5 0 . 528 . st . XVII, p . ; Sonnets, LIII, p ; p . p

In Keats an orbed diamond, set to fray Old

s . . darknes from his throne (End II She comes , ’ i i - fra d she comes aga n, l ke ring dove y and ﬂed (Eve of

St . Agnes, st . XXII, p .

In Spenser And souce so sore that they the t ’ ff . 5 h heavens a ray (I , unwonted sound, With which

ff . 5 O r her yron wheeles did them a ray (I , when 7 aflra . the flying heavens he would y (I , And corage 10 ff . fierce that all men did a ray (II , Shee, that ff 5 Bra adochio . ff base gg did a ray (III , a ray with 1 0 6 . 9 45 . 1 . . 6 cruell threat (III , also IV , ; IV , ; V 8 24 0 12 . 9 4 . 9 , ; V , ; V , ; And made to fly like doves 2 ff . 1 whom the Eagle doth a ray (V , !This example is also interesting as having probably suggested to Keats ’ “ the simile like ring - dove fray d and fled (see

° . 4 7 2 . 5 2 . . . 7 VI , Shep Cal for Sept p ; Virgils Gnat,

0 . 2 . . 5 5 508 510 55 pp , , ; Colin Clout, p

- - In Keats The Kettle drum, and far heard clar ionet A ﬂra n E ve , y his ears, though but in dyi g tone (

A . of . . aﬂra e d St gnes, st . XXIX p Her blue y eyes

O f . . . . wide Open shone (Eve St Agnes, st XXXIII p

10 u t

He r i In Spenser fai e the Kn ght saluted, lout in 1 . m eek e low g low (I , He humbly louted in l i e 10 he . 3 n sse . T (I , to him louting lowly (II ,

The Porter eke to her did lout with humble gestes (II . 9 commin him , And g before low louted on the lay , III . 10 10 ( , But to him louted low (III . , And

w . 2 3 5 . 6 lowly to her lo ting (IV , also IV . , ; IV , 28 IV 4 V 0 1 1 1 4 7 I 1 . 8 4 9 30 3 3 . ; , ; . , ; IV , ; V . , ; V , 10 1 0 . 6 5 . f 7 . r 46 i of ; VI , ; Shep Cal o July, p . Ru nes 491 Time, p . . ’ In Keats : Was t to this end I louted and b e

of . 1 came The menial Mars (Otho the Great, III ,

Who, turning much his body, more his neck, Louted full

Ca . . h l . ow ( p and Bells, st XXIX p It is wort y of note that Keats also uses this word in a letter to l Who the pub isher, John Taylor ,, could wish to be among the common- place crowd of the little famous who are each individually lost in a throng made up of themselves ? Is this worth louting or playing the hypo “ crite for? 1)

n e e d m e n t s . In Spenser wearied with bearing of her bag 1 of t I. needmen s at his backe ( , and eke behind n in his His scrip did ha g, which needments he did bind 6 t (I . , Small needmen s else need shepheard to pre

C . pare ( olin Clout, p In Keats : Mothers and wives ! who day by day prepare The scrip, with needments, for the mountain f the th . o e air (End . I This is one words, by of of fa way, that aroused the wrath the author the mous article in the Quarterly Review : We are told that turtles p ass io n their voices ; that an arbour was ’ and or di a n e d an d neste d , a lady s locks g up ; , to sup

l of , . p y the place the nouns thus verbalized Mr Keats, s with great fecundity, spawn new ones, such as m en

- s s l ugs an d human s e rp e ntry , the h o n ey fe el of blis

wives prepare n e e dm ent s , and so

p i g h t . In Spenser And by my wretched lo vers pight But in the same a little grate

’ s e d 368. 1 Ke ats etter . orman , p . ) L , F

e b Mr ssetti e e t . 89. 2) ! uot d y . Ro in his Lif of K a s , p

b a n n e r a L

In Spenser : A nm m de spoyle of knightly 7 bannerall (VI . , In Keats : Beneath the shade Of stately ban 13 neral (Induction, p . , line The word also occurs ’ in a suppressed stanza of St . Agnes Eve trophied 1 b annerals. )

b a t t a i l o u s .

In Spenser battailous array (I . battailous 8 battailons 7 . aray (II . , battailous aray (II , 3 1 1 . assault (II. , his battailous bold brood (III , 12 12 1 40 . . 1 a . 5 battailous larmes (V , also V , ; V , ; 1 2 3 . 7 4 . 1 2 . 3 VI . , ; VI , ; VI , In Keats : but begone all ceremonious points of 2 honor battailous (Otho the Great, IV . ,

c o r o n a L

In Spenser And crowne your he ade s with beav

e r nall III. 5 nly co o ( , And by his side his Queene ll 1 1 U ﬂo e corona . wr s with (IV , ntimely my forced of C r l to o o al . fall That bene the honor your n (Shep Cal .

for . . . for 4 . 5 Feb p also Shep Cal April , p . 5 ;

90 . E i h. p t p . 5 In Keats : Four lilly stalks did their white hon T O E nd ours wed make a coronal ( . II . weaving

a coronal Of tender scions (End . II . for I will pull ﬂ of for The owers autumn your coronals (End . IV.

d i g h t . In Spenser and others trimly dight their gay t re 4 at . r y (I , But ere he could his armou on di . 7 fo l him ght (I , A foxes tail with dong all w y

dight (I . The verdant gras my couch did goodly

1 e e ) v n , K ats p . 229. Col i Lif of , . 9 u e l dight (I , His aery plumes doth ro z , ful rudely 1 . 1 hi se lfe to b attaile dight (I , And did m ready

1 1 i n . 2 . rla ds 1 dight (I , with g dight (I , also 2 1 I. 1 . 4 . 2 23 12 3 . 18 I 4 8 3 . 5 . I , ; I , ; II , ; , ; II , ; II

2 . . . 8 2 6 7 . 7 4 6 1 6 2 2 8 8 . 9 7 , ; II , ; II , ; II , ; II , ; II , ; 2 1 1 . 4 . . 3 . 9 0 1 2 53 12 77 . 9 3 II , ; II , ; II , ; II , ; II , ; 1 40 1 1 . 4 43 . 5 3 . 1 39 . 5 5 III . , ; III , ; III , ; III , ; III , ; 2 1 . 2 . 1 3 . 7 1 9 9 . 10 8 . 5 5 1 5 III , ; III , ; III , ; III , ; III , ; 6 10 2 2 2 . 3 . 4 1 . 4 7 1 16 . 3 IV. , ; IV , ; IV , ; IV , ; IV , ;

4 0 . 1 1 1 1 . 3 . . 1 3 6 . 7 7 8 8 IV , ; IV , ; IV IV , ; IV , ; 2 14 . 4 2 1 1 1 . 1 . 4 . 5 0 6 . 5 . 7 6 V , ; V , ; V , ; V , ; V , ; V ,

2 1 . 2 12 4 8 7 . 1 1 60 . 1 . 9 9 . 7 2 2 3 ; V , ; V , ; V , ; V , ; VI , ; .

2 . 7 4 . 1 V I. 2 2 3 3 3 0 I 7 8 . . 7 7 9 VI , ; VI , ; VII , ; , ; VII ,

. . . . 446 . . fo 7 33 for . r VII , ; Shep Cal Jan p ; Shep Cal i . 46 . tm 3 504 M uio o os . 535 June, p ; Virg ls Gnat, p ; p , p ;

of Vanitie . . . 538 Visions the Worlds , st IX p ; Visions

. . 538 . 552 of Bellay, st II p . ; Colin Clout, p ; Colin Clout,

4 . . 85 . . 55 561 . 5 p ; Astrophel, p ; Sonnets, LXXXI p ’ In Keats dight By the ble arey d nations in em purpled vests (End . III .

b e d i g h t 12 2 1 : ﬂ i . In Spenser with aming lockes bed ght (I , ) through fowle sorrow ill bedight (II . Furor hath

. 6 me thus bedight (II , His head and beard with

d . 7 n sout were ill be ight (II , All in a canvas thi d 1 ious . 1 ret he was be ight (II , with p deaw bedight 4 . 6 . (III , with woody mosse bedight (IV , And

w ork es . all his with Justice hath bedight (Intro V,

e 3 . 3 45 b dight with bleeding wounds (VI . , also VI , ; i 1 . . 477 l . 5 7 . 4 . 7 . VI , ; VI , ; Shep Cal for Oct p ; V rgi s

05 . . 5 Gnat, p ’ cro n d In Keats ; Where happy spirits, w with circlets bright Of starry beam, and gloriously bedight “ nn o i . (So et, ,, As fr m the Darken ng Gloom , p d i s c o l o u r e d .

In Spenser : A bonneh Of heares discolourd diversly 4 n e 2 t discolourd . (I . , A kir le Of say (I , A bo n h ih d . 7 of heares discoloure diversly (I , When that fe rnall advannce discol Monster, Gan high his broad 12 a 1 1 . o red brest (I . , the sea discoloured (II , 0 di col D iscolourd . 1 s in garments light (III , Like a 1 d 1 1 4 . 12 0 our 1 1 . 7 Snake (III . , also III , ; III ! , ; 1 14 E . h 88. V , ; pit . p . 5

: In Keats discoloured poisons (Otho the Great, 1 II . ,

d i s p a r t .

In Spenser : blood - red billowes disparted with ‘ r d 1 i e . 0 his (I , That quite disparted all the l nked 8 frame (II . , Doubly disparted , it did locke and

. 9 n close (II , Them in twelve troupes their Captai d 1 1 f did ispart (II . . Till that she Per orce dis d d 1 23 4 4 . 6 parte their compacte gyre (III , ) also III . , ; II I 2 I 1 . 1 3 . 9 1 V. 10 . 4 . 8 5 3 7 43 . , ; IV , ; , ; V , ; V , In Keats : Where dost thou listen to the wide O ? halloos f thy disparted nymphs (End . II . just ’ as the morning south Disparts a dew - lipp d rose 1 . 0 ! (End II . when the wreathed green Disparted

. m (End II . and dispart Its most ambiguous ato s with sure art (Lamia, I .

l a n g u o r o u s

In Spenser : Whom late I left in languorous ? 1 constra nt . y (II , ’ : hiten d In Keats W with ashes , and its languorous a 2 1 of . . 3 ﬂ me (Reconstruction Hyp p , line Bright ’ ’ s a ccom lish d lan rous ! eye , p shape , and g waist (Sonnet, “ The Day is Gone, p . p r i c k e t

In Spense r : And joyed oft to chace the trembling

Pricket (Shep . Cal . for Dec . p . In Keats A nd startle the dappled Prickets

. 7 . (Teignmouth , st , p

r am p .

m : n . 3 In Spenser A rampi g Lyon (I , ra p 3 n the in on . g his shield (I , And trampli g ﬁne 5 n element would ﬁercely ramp (I . , Came rampi g 1 1 1 8 . forth (I . , As hundred ramping Lions ( , 1 2 ram t awes . He p upon him with his ravenous p (VI ,

a . In Keats : The ramping Cent ur (End IV .

s h a l l o p .

In Spenser : and with the ore Did thrust the h ﬂotin 7 s allop from the g strand (III . , In Keats : Before the point of his light shallop 1 7 Calidore . reaches Those Marble steps ( , p , line

1 . A little shallop , ﬂoating there hard by (End . see . also A Galloway Song (p . 553 line

u n d e r s o n g .

In Spenser S O weren his undersongs well ad

. f r A . o u . . We e e ! drest (Shep Cal g p p , Shepheard

’

t i . w e e e o D a hna da . p , make my undersong ( p , I p

’ ’ D hn id D hnaida 4 a a a . . 548 a . 5 7 also p , VI p (twice) ; p , p

’

D a hn id 8 . 551 a a . . 54 (twice) ; p , VI p ; Colin Clout, p ; 6 6 . 0 . Prothalamion, p

’ In Keats Deaf to the nightingale s ﬁrst under li or 1 7 n Ca d e . so g ( , p , line While ﬂuent Greek a ’ vow e l d n underso g Kept up among the guests (Lamia ,

’ m oan d - II . And through it a ghostly under song

(Isabella , st . XXXVI . p . w o n d e r m e n t .

e n : u the In Sp ser beauties Q eene, worlds sole

s . wonderment ( Ver es , p with gaping wonderment

. 12 t (I , hat strange Dame , whose beauties wonder 5 . a . 3 ment (IV , f ncies wonderment (V , also 52 . . . 6 . 573 Ruines Of Rome, st II p ; Sonnets, III p . ;

. . 576 e . . 583 Sonnets, XXIV p ; Sonn ts , LXIX p ; Sonnets,

. 5 5 . LXXXI p . 8 In Keats : On the smooth wind to realms of

n . 9 10 wo derment (I Stood Tiptoe, p , line And , ! d one wonderment upon soft ver ure saw, here, one there, i n o E n . Cupids a slumber ng their pinions fair ( d II . Peoma went Home through the wood in wonderment

(End . IV . A number of the preceding words occur in Shak “

2 . 2 . . 5 . . . spere discolour ( Hen IV II , ; Hen V III 6 n 1 06 2 . 3 , (Ki g John, II , ; Hen . 1 . 1 1 . R . . m . 3 14 L o uc . VI IV , ; and Jul V , 3 ; r “

. . 2 1 IV. 2 . . 2 53 IV 2 . 58 ,, pricket (L L L IV , ; , ; , ; 2 “ . nd 22 a J . 1 1 1 IV , ramping (King ohn, III , ; Hen .

. 1 1 2 5 . . 3 3 . . IV III , ; Hen VI V , Milton has bat “ “ ’ tail n L 2 o s . . 6 . 6 II (P L , ,, dight ( A ; P . “ “ . 241 10 d a . 7 isp rted (P L , ; , and ramped (P . 4 m “ L . , Willia Browne has undersong (Brit. “

1 . . . Past . and ,, prickets (Brit Past. III ,, coro “ ’ nals may be found in Fletcher s Faithful Shepherdess

(I . a poem with which Keats was no doubt acquaint “ ’

u Cha sm an s . ed ; ,, discoloured occ rs in p Iliad (XVI a work for which Keats has put on record his admira “ W tion in a ﬁne sonnet ; ,, disparts is used by illiam ‘ Thompson in the Hymn to May ) (published in

a poem written in avowed imitation of Spenser . It would ’ n n be proﬁtable, in this con ectio , to compare Keats diction

f s a c M e e 60 1 c e E n t t . . h p , sh m n ov m n p . ) P l gli Ro i , with that of the numerous S pe nserian imitations publish ed throughout the eighteenth century ; I regret that I am at present n ot in a position to do so . ’ i h Mr . Arnold s remark that Keats ndulges in t e e 406 d v ry vile word (see End . II . ) woul

. . 6 F . apply with equal force to Spenser ( Q III , to . . 1 and to Shakspere (Macb V , it is also be h ’ found in Mrs . T ig e s Psyche (p . a poem considered n by Mr . Sid ey Colvin to have exerted an inﬂuence upon ’ ? Keats earliest lines . Mr . Arnold also says ) that Keats d h borrowed from Milton the a jective d re ar , althoug , r t on anothe page of his in roduction, we read that this O f r word which Keats is so fond is, or was , f equent “ 3 one n . in the work Of only other poet, amely, Chatterton ) h T is word is used by Spenser, so far as I know, twice 1 1 a 1 1 8 . only (F . Q . II . , ; III , The frequent p e arance - p of the longer form in yis, however, characteristic of his vocabulary, and his usage has here been closely imitated by Keats ; particularly worthy of note is the “ expression dreary death .

d r e a r y . 2 24 . 4 . 6 5 . 7 5 5 30 . In Spenser I , ; I , ; I , ; I , ;

° 1 d . 9 . 6 re 7 22 8 . 3 9 3 r . 3 3 I , ; ; I , ; I , y death (II ,

22 . . 1 1 1 4 7 0 . . 7 51 . 0 58 II , ; II , ; III , ; III , ; III

2 1 1 2 . 12 1 . 1 34 . 3 . 3 9 . 7 5 7 , ; IV , ; VI , ; VI , ; VI , ; VI

1 . 1 1 . 1 2 2 . 7 1 9 1 1 VI 6 3 . 5 . 5 8 , ; VI , ; VI , ; VI , ; VI , ; 1 1 d 2 4 re er . 2 . . 4 6 , ; Shep . Cal . for Jan p ; y death (Shep

dr e r . . . . for . e Cal Julye, p y death (Shep Cal for Aug

. fo N . . dreerie h . r ov p . deat (Shep Cal p

. . r . of dree rie death (Shep Cal fo Dec . p Teares

1 t . . . ) In ro , p XXXII 2 b . ) I i d . , p . XXXIII XLV 3 b . ) I i d , p . . h 99 t e se s . 4 503 M uio otm s 5 6 D a n o . 3 h ai da Mu , pp , ; p , p ; p , 5 6 5 . 4 4 n L 7 s II. 58 i 0 E h. 5 1 . 9 . pp , ; So net , p ; p t p . In Keats: dreary hour (Epistle to My Brother d . O n of r George, p reary sea ( a Picture Leande , p . dreary melody (End . I . something dreary

. . r (End . II dreary death (End III . d eary e space (End . III . journ y dreary (End . IV . Calidore m i f The poem contains, apart fro the title tsel

. . . n (cf F Q Book VI . ) and the words already oted, a number of tricks of expression that were borrowed from

u . t of the Faerie Q eene Thus, the hero is wi hal a man “ 1 1 4 . 2 a . . . 7 eleg nce and stature tall (cf F . Q II , ; II , 2 46 . 6 8 7 ; VII , ; VII . , his armour looks like ,, some 2 t . . . 1 9 . 3 7 2 . 7 9 splendid wee (cf F Q I , ; II , ; ;

4 2 . o . 9 4 G ndib e r II , ; VI , we read also that Sir t ’ ' “ 4 d o d . . . . ff 5 . has ) his shining steel (cf F Q III , ; III 1 2 2 . 6 9 1 1 I 13 . 1 55 . 43 3 . , ; III . , ; IV , ; IV , ; V , ; VI 9 2 1 5 5 6 . . 3 5 . 5 2 3 6 . 9 4 53 5 7 . . ; VII , ; Mother H T p ; ; ;

699 . The verb occurs also in Endymion (II . ; II r of The two preceding wo ds are , course, common enough among the poets ; their occurrence in a poem written f ﬂ o h . under the in uence Spenser is , owever, signiﬁcant The Spenserian expression adventurous knight

10 2 1 . 5 9 . . . 9 . . 7 . 3 33 3 (F Q II , ; III , ; IV , ; IV , ; IV ’ in t 10 30 o . 6 4 . , ; V , ) occurs Keats Sonnet Wells (p “

. 4 equally common in Spenser is wretched wight (I , 12 5 6 . 6 4 . 3 1 . 5 29 39 . 36 ; ; II , ; II , ; III , ; IV , , used by Keats in the poem La Belle Dame sans Merci ‘ ‘ n s A t te éﬁ f ﬁ mre wm t The li e M , “ 2 call the Graces four (To p . 4) were doubtless sug

. for i gested by a similar passage in the Shep . Cal Apr l 455 (p . ) n t to daunce Wants o a fourth Grace , make the even L e t that rowme to my Lady be yeven :

ar 1) Italics e my own .

’ l w . o d oman in St Agnes Eve (see the Faerie Queene , 3 T h 6 . e . 3 5 w III , ; III , drastic expression ith meagre face deform “ in the last stanza Of the same 266 poem (p . ) is clearly a reminiscence of the line With ’ “ m i r a IV. 8 he ar deform d e e F . . y glib and g f ce ( Q , 12 compare also ,, with visages deforme (F Q . II . , ’

deform d . . 3 and all his face with infamie (F . Q V , of It seems to have escaped the attention the critics, h u t at the expression ,, load every rift of your s bject with used by Keats in a letter to Shelley, was suggested by the line A nd with rich metall loaded “

f F . . . 7 every ri te ( Q II ,

Many of the words noted by Mr . W . T . Arnold and myself are, Of course , to be found in the works ’

. F or of poets of Keats own times instance, Words w t “ or h has covert (The Green Linnet, and elsewhere) , “ and ,, coronal (Ode on Immortality) ; Scott has beads “ “

. . . . 1 . 4 man (Mar VI ,, grisly (L of the L M III . ; “ Mar . II . (Mar . IV . ,, shallop (L . of “

. 20 . the L . I ; II and wonderment (Mar . II . “ “ r D on . . an d By on has grisly ( J II ,, besprent

(Don J . V . Direct inﬂuence upon Keats would be, d I fancy, in these and similar instances ifﬁcult to prove ; traces of the Spenserian element may be discovered in the language of perhaps every leading English poet of ? this century . Among moderns Leigh Hunt ) alone ap ’ pears to have left a deep impress upon Keats poetry .

“ h n n mit tion of n r . 4 . T e Li es i ,,l a S pe se Attention has already been called to the remark that Keats ’ professedly Spenserian lines resemble not so much Spenser as later writers who had written in

1 ette . 505. ) L rs , p V — e e E n f t . . t . 2 c . rno d n ro pp . and ps , ud ) A l , I , XX I XXX ; H gl S — XXI. 261 271 . h a

s e of not B his mea ur , and these the latest, yron, but rather such milder minstrels as Shenstone , Thomson , t of m and Beat ie, or most all perhaps the senti ental “

. . t Irish poetess Mrs Tighe, etc Apar from his study O f of the Imitation Spenser, the critic would appear to have discovered grounds for his Opinion in a reference ’

. T o to Mrs Tighe contained in Keats poem Some Ladies, and particularly in the following passage to be found 1818 in a letter written by Keats in ,, This however i is true Mrs . Tighe and Beattie once del ghte d me now I see through them and can find nothing in them or T i h ’ . e s Mrs g Psyche, or, as the title runs, the Legend of O f 1805 Love, which the first edition appeared in , O f is an allegorical poem of some length , consisting six cantos written in the Spenserian stanz a . The authoress in f avoids, as she states her pre ace, the Obsolete words which are found in Spenser ; nevertheless , her poem n of must be characterized, in its man er expression and its general tone, as a close imitation of the Faerie u an d the Q eene . In proof of this, inasmuch as poem is 2 comparatively unknown, ) the first four stanzas of the first canto may be quoted here :

Much wearied with her long and dreary way,

And now with toil and sorrow well nigh spent,

r Of sad regret and wasting grief the p ey, h Fair Psyc e through untrodden forests went,

To lone shades uttering oft a vain lament .

And oft in hopeless silence sighing deep ,

As she her fatal error did repent,

While dear remembrance bade her ever weep, e And her pale cheek in ceaseless showers of sorrow st ep .

1 ette . 249. ) L rs, p s the 2) I am indebte d to the kindness of Prof. Hoop for loan a c the e of opy of po m . ’ Mid the thick covert of that woodland shade, n u A ﬂowery ba k there lay ndressed by art, But of the m e ssy turf spontaneous made ;

Here the young branches shot their arms athwart,

And wove the bower so thick in every part, That the ﬁerce beams of Phoebus glancing strong Could never through the leaves their fury dart ;

But the sweet creeping shrubs that round it throng,

Their loving fragrance mix, and trail their ﬂowers along .

And close beside a little fountain played,

Which through the trembling leaves all joyous shone,

And with the cheerful birds sweet music made, Kissing the surface of each polished stone A s it ﬂowed past : sure as her favourite thron e r n w T a quillity might well esteem the bo er, and own The fresh cool retreat have called her ,

e t A pl asan shelter in the sultry hour, ’

n r . A refuge from the blast, and a g y tempest s power

Wooed by the soothing silence Of the scene, u Here Psyche stood, and looking round, lest a ght d n Which threatened a ger near her might have been, A while to rest her in that quiet spot u She laid her down, and piteo sly bethought sad Herself on the changes Of her fate , so Which in short a space so much had wrought, now to And had raised her such high estate , l “ And n ow had plunged her ow in sorrow desolate .

Students Of Spenser will recognize at once the great similarity in style between these lines and that Of the so Faerie Queene ; and it goes through the six cantos . T o enter into details, it is possible that the expression “ ’ coerule an ,, sky occurring in Keats poem may be a m n c of “ re i iscen e the cerulean skies of M rs. Tighe e C . . (Psych , anto VI p although it is not to be “ overlooked that Spenser has already ,, caerule streame

l . f (Virgi s Gnat, p It would be difﬁcult, I ancy, ’ t out f T i he s to poin any other eatures in Mrs . g poem , e n the O f which, r appeari g in Imitation Spenser, are not f to be ound in the Faerie Queene . C ’ f ertainly, there is in Keats poem , apart rom the f us f o . . . 2 1 e o . 9 34 . 1 8 the word t e e n ( F Q I , ; I , ; 40 1 1 58 . 5 . 1 5 . 1 47 . 1 0 . 1 2 4 II , ; II , ; III , ; III , ; III , ; 1 12 2 1 2 . 3 I . . 1 7 . 3 3 3 V 0 IV , ; IV , ; , ; V , , more than one point of similarity with the Spenserian manne r . T hus ! n - 1 . The use of the endi g o s in s c ales (st . II . 27 p . ) to complete a metrical foot ,, Whose silken ’ “

and . ﬁns, golden scales light In Spenser : In wine and oil they wash his wound es e 5 w aies wid (I . , In all his through this wide 10 w o lde s . t r wave (I , Honour, es ate , and all this Lee orl es worldes . 7 ! w d good (II , here the blis of ! e e the . 7 loe h r end (II , Here is the fountaine

d s . 7 the w orldes . 7 worl e good (II , blis (II ,

2 . w orldes . 1 . s . (II , beames (Intro III whale (III 2 1 e . 1 . , beam s (III , armes (III , armes

d 4 . 4 . 3 hown es . (III , (III , beames (III ,

de . b 1 6 orl . e . w s b ames (III , (III andes (IV , 2 . 4 . 1 H . 2 e eroes (V , death s (V , leaves (V , 2 4 . 3 8 kni htes . a . le ves (VI armes (VI , ) g (VI , d 4 orl es . 6 a e . 4 . w rm s (VI , lives (VI , (VI , o d s . 7 w rl e . 12 armes (VI , beames (VII , worth l of u . or des (R ines of Time, p w gaze (Teares the

u e W tw aine M uio otm os . M s s, p . inges ( p , p

i . f Beaut e . beames bright (Hymne in Honour o , p etc It is noteworthy that no single instance of this ’ - T i h usage of the ending o s is to be found in Mrs . g e s

Psyche. ’ “

2 . o I could e en Dido f her grief beguile (st . III . p . Compare the following lines from Spenser And all the while most heavenly melody About the bed sweet musick e did divide Him to beguile of grief and n 5 O f . v ago y (I , And , dying, doe themsel es payne

b e u le n . . n f g y (So nets , XLVII p And fai e my grie e

h n l V . wit chau ges to begui e (Sonnets, LXXX I p .

3 . F or so The lines ,, sure fair a place was never ’ “ charm d . . seen, Of all that ever romantic eye (st III 2 ‘ p . 8) have been pointed out by Mr . Colvin ) as exam ples Of a manner that is directly Opposed to the Speu i serian . One does n ot like to ﬁnd fault with the Op nion f O . so excellent a critic as Mr Colvin ; nevertheless, leav “ ing out always the one word romantic, similar pas

in : E ft sages may, I think , be found Spenser . Thus soones they heard a most melodious sound, Of all that 12 daintie eare . mote delight a (II , So faire a d i 6 s rinckle d ev ze . place as Nature can (III , And p with such sweet variety Of all that pleasant is to care

or eye (Intro . VI .

4 . The thought expressed in the ﬁrst six lines of

’ the last stanza of Keats poem may have been suggest ed by the following stanza from the Faerie Queene 1 2 (II . , And over all of purest gold was spred A trayle Of yvie in his native he w ; F or l the rich meta l was so coloured , ’ That wight who did not well avis d it vew Would surely deem e it to bee yvie trew L a cre e e ow his l scivious armes adown did p , That themselves dipping in the silver dew ﬂ e ﬂo es fe arefull ste e e Their e cy w r they y did p , l Which drops Of christa l seemd for w an tone s to weep .

- 1 e e at 2 1 t te . ) Lif of K s . p . , foo no ’ Keats lines are di ’ d ,, And all around it pp luxuriously S lO in s of d p g verdure through the glossy ti e, i n Wh ch, as it were in ge tle amity, Rippled delighted up the ﬂowery side A s d it (1 if to glean the rud y tears, try , “ Which fell profusely from the rose- tree stem ! x o 5. The poem is a simple e pression f joy in the e d A s b auty of earth ; beyon this it has no aim . it will b e necessary to consi der later the attitude O f the two f writers toward nature, I shall content mysel here with d quoting from J . Hoops the ju icious words in which he ’ n of sums up the ge eral character this, Keats earliest attempt at poetry : Wir haben hier bereits einige Haupt ’ charakterz iige der spateren K eats schen Muse : keine n Handlu g, keine Leidenschaft nichts Erhabenes und dafiir Pathetisches ; aber eine reine, keusche Freude an S chonh f der sinnlichen eit der Welt, ein ausgearbeitete E inzelscbilderun en n fiir g mit ei er Vorliebe das Stillleben,

fiir anmuthi en . die g , friedlichen Seiten der Natur Aber, wie n d e bei Spenser, ist es icht die wirkliche Natur, i l M archenlan d er uns schi dert, sondern eine romantische ft ! h n scha mit Feen und auberinseln, leuc te d in lauter Sonnenschein und

5. S ummary.

This subject might easily be pursued further . Enough d has probably been sai , however, to give some insight into the inﬂuence exerted by Spenser upon the diction

of . e h Keats This inﬂuenc , appearing in the lines w ich

’ O f mark the beginning Keats career, is to be found u u of 181 7 everywhere, thro ghout the vol me , in in Endymion, Lamia and in the Odes , in Isabella and

E 1 . 233 ) ngl Stud . XXI . . h

h t e . S t. l in Agnes , in the Dramas , and in Cap and Bel s in Even the language of Hyperion, written when the fluence of Milton upon Keats was at its height, shows scarcely an appreciable falling off in the Spenserian element . f w n ’ In the face of these acts, the vie that Spe ser s influence was limited to Keats ’ earliest works cannot ’ be maintained ; the contrary opinion, that Spenser s influence increased with the growth of Keats ’ poetic a r powers would be , as far as diction is concerned, ne re ! . w . e the truth In the ords of J Hoops, ,, eitweis sind wohl auch Leigh Hunt und besonders Milton seine poetischen Meister und Vorbilder gewesen ; aber die ’ a die friiheste Einwirkung Hunt s beschr nkt sich auf , ’ diejenige Milton s auf die letzte: Periode seiner dichter ’ ischen Laufbahn ; Spenser s eindruck svolle Spuren da gegen lassen sich durch alle seine S chfipfungen hindurch “ on t verfolgen, v der Imi ation of Spenser und von “ E “ m zum ve of . o Endy ion an bis ,, St Agnes, w er noch einmal auf die Spenser- Stanze

IV. Metre .

or As regards the usage of metre, little nothing can be afﬁrmed with certainty . Keats makes use of the Spenserian Stanza in his ﬁrst poem The Imitation on of Spenser, in some verses his friend Charles Armitage

t of . Brown, in a S anza Written at the Close Canto II of Book V , the Faerie Queene, in the Cap and Bells, ’ and in St . Agnes Eve . In this last poem the long ’ swinging melody of Spenser s measure has been caught

E 2 4 1 n t . 3 . ) g. S ud . XXI

i id : d sor d e r : : . 3 hi d ri d di sfigur e d (II , c on

: m a ste r e d : . 5 : quer e d y w o n d e r e d (II , r ed gar n ishe d qu e sti o n ed : p r a ctiz e d : re ck o n ed

. l e dd : 6 9 : : . 7 (II , ) s c attere d s h e d unb uri e d (II ,

: : . 7 g arn is h ed r e d d s av o re d (II , answ e red 8 M a d e n he d : : d e a d (II . , y r e ck o ne d h o n o re d

. 9 m d I 9 : in istr e d : : m e n a e I. (II , di s p r ed r ed g ( , d isp ara g e d : b o un ty h e d (II . O p en e d : c o n qu e re d : ran s a ck e d (II . ste d : re c o v e red

: : d isthroni z e d (II . s te d g o v erned disqu i e ted 10 : 10 c o n quered (II . , g ath er ed fl ed (II . , : 11 10 : cha ll e n v anqui sh e d es t ab l ish ed ( . , fl e d g 1 : . 0 se tte l e d II 12 1 : e d (II . h e d ( . , ) r e d c o u n se ll e d 1 2 . : : . (II d i sp r e d ap p arel e d re d (II , : : d el iv ere d e st ab l is h e d h erri ed (II . c o v e r l : 1 n : U . 2 a e d dis c o o u r e d nthr i fty h e d (II ,

: : : sw e r e d m e a su r e d w hi ste l e d ti c k e le d (II . d is c o uns el l e d : l ev el e d : o v er - sp r e d : env el o p e d

1 2 : : : 1 2 (II . , sp e d s all ie d g o v ern e d y dr e d (II . , k l e 12 d b e s r in e d : . d : r e p w e d (II , g ath e re

12 : ri p ene d (II . , o v e rb u rd e n e d dis o r d er e d m n e d 12 12 w o a h . : . (II , sp re d c o l o ur e d (II , i d : I III : s r n ck e l e : a ish d ntro. p i c tu r e d p pi c ture d r v e ( .

: l 1 il d u ha n de e d . a a r e e d is c o n s el l ed (III , pp

: . p o u rtr a h e d (III . b ed a c cust om e d (III d : : : 1 e n v e IO e . p h ed d is c o mfite d h eri e d (III , b e d : c o v ere d : e n v e l o p e d re d : fulm ine d 2 2 . : . an sw e r e d (III , a re d d fa shi o n e d (III , s : 2 o . o dl he d : he d b uri e d (III , g y sw al l o w e d 2 . : di sha r te n e d : 3 (III , b e d a r e d (III . , em : p assi on e d fashi o n e d (III . l imit ed : m e a sure d

. 3 : . 3 a c (III , c o n quer e d b o untyh e d (III , c om li shid : 3 : . : p h i d (III , l e d app ar el e d g ar n i she d 3 : (III . , led env ir o ned b ounti

: . 6 f : 6 h e d rip en e d (III , l ed ange red (III. , : b e d III. 6 : M a d e n he d ang er e d ( , fo s te r ed y (III . 6 : n III 6 , al ter ed c o d iti on e d ( . , t en d ere d le sse n e d : . 6 c on ti n e w e d : w o m anh e a d (III , fl e d

: . 7 : d re d c o nqu ere d (III , an sw ere d w and e r e d 7 . : : : w on dere d (III , re d c ar o l e d h ed c o n qu ere d 7 . d : tr a v e il e d . 7 : (III , emb o we l l e (III , d i d c om 7 a ssid . : 9 c . n p (III , sh e d o r d e re d (III , o

: . 9 : : f quere d re d d (III , l ed w an d ere d suf er ed

9 : . 0 . 1 tr a v e il e d: (III , misl e d c arri e d (III ,

. b r e dd : ha n d wand ere d (III e le d (III . f : 1 . 1 : o l l o w ed w al l o w ed (III , fa s hi o n e d l usty 1 1 . : 1 1 h e d (III , pi cture d h e d (III . , o v e r

: u : u : re d fig r e d di s c o r age d (III . yd r e d p er sev er e d p a s s i o n e d : dis c o v er ed : cyp h er

d 12 il : c . a a r e e d d d r e r ihe . 1 2 (III , pp (III ,

: I . . V : l . 1 e d dis cipl e d (Intro n o urish e d r ed (IV , IV 1 1 : . : ( n b es c attere d sp red ( , r e d l eg e d

V. : . 5 ere d (Intro fe d fo rw e ari e d (V . b e d :

: : 7 w i d ow he d : tran s fig u re d r e d w o n d ere d (V . ,

. 10 : . o ffe re d (V , c h eri sh e d b ani sh ed (V

: V. : s l av ered s e d ( r e d r av i sh e d (VI . It is not to be denied that this usage of the ending e d is to be met with here and there throughout the

. how range of English poetry What forms with others, to one of ever, the exception is be regarded as the ’ most striking features of Spenser s verse ; and it occurs

s not infrequently in Keats . Nevertheles , the system Of measuring song by the simple process Of counting upon ﬁnger and thumb the number of syllable s in a given

e e so verse , has been, in r c nt times, discredited by the s d one wild and fanciful re ults obtaine , that would be disposed to admit its authority positively only in those cases where Keats has written in avowed imitation Of

Spenser . - V. S ubject Matter and Method Of T reatment . n uousn ss and hi alr Se s e C v y.

’ “ lov d all t 1 I have the principle of beauty in hings, ) m says Keats , and the same senti ent is uttered by him again and again . In a letter to his sister Fanny, he writes I must confess even now a partiality for a hand some Globe of gold- fish then I would have it hold 10 pails of water and be fed continually fresh through a cool pipe with another pipe to let through the floor well ventilated they would preserve all their beautiful silver and Crimson . Then I would put it before a hand some painted window and shade it all round with myr o c tles and Jap ni as. I should like the window to Open onto the Lake of Geneva and there I’ d sit and read all day like the picture of somebody reading “ ) The I same feeling is delicately conveyed in the words, ,, am sitting Opposite the S hak spe are I brought from the isle of Wight and I never look at it but the silk tassels on it give me as much pleasure as the face of the poet “ 3 to B e I . rawn itself ) Again, he declares Fanny , ,, can not conceive any beginning of such love as I have for but “ 4 hi ou u . s f y Bea ty ) Once more, he writes to riend S hak s e are Bailey, ,, p and the Paradise lost every day become greater wonders to me . I look upon fine phrases like a

1 e tte 465. ) L rs, p . 2 b 273—274 ) d . pp . . I i , 3 b 286 ) I i d . , p . . 4 b 351 ) I i d . , p . . 5 b i ) d . p . 364. I , All these utterances of Keats prove clearly the fact (which some of his admirers have tried very hard see su not to ), that the s en o u s el e m e nt was pre

a . dominant in his char cter If further proof were needed, ’ it might be found in a consideration of Keats attitude for toward nature as revealed in his poetry . His love the trees and ﬂowers and grass is like that of a young inn ocent girl ; it has all the child- like n a i v e t e and nu delight of the German ; it partakes , however O f t consciously, the s rong conviction and the deep enthusiasm of him who wrote consider the lilies of the how ﬁeld, they grow ; they toil not, neither do they — t spin w e know the rest . Only at very rare momen s does Keats stop to analyze his feelings when in the presence of some beautiful object ; his whole being is fi it of lled w h an overpowering sense delight, and that f o is for him enough . A thing o beauty is a j y forever . sentinent t T O The expressed by Wordswor h ,, look not the of e on nature as in hour thoughtl ss youth, but hearing often- times the still sad music of humanity would have been hardly possible to Keats . But if it be true that he stands here a long way removed from so it t Wordsworth, is equally true tha right here he joins hands with Spenser . The motto of the volume of 1817

o What more felicity can fall t creature, “ Than to enjoy delight with liberty M i is taken from the u opotm os (p . poem vibrating h with delight in t e beauty and glory of the world . can on e ﬁnd a more perfect example of the .Where purely sensuous treatment of nature than in the follow ing stanzas ? :

1 M io m s — u ot o . 533 ) pp 534 . p , s es re adie Thu the fr h Clarion, being dight, U u him selfe addresse nto his jo rney did , S And with good peed began to take his ﬂight. the lus e Over ﬁelds , in his franke tin sse , ’ And all the champain O re he soared light ; countre i And all the y w de he did possesse, i u b ounteouslie Feed ng pon their pleasures ,

n nor . That no e gainsaid, none did him envie

medow es The woods, the rivers, and the green,

his - With aire cutting wings he measured wide, did m ountaines unseene Ne he leave the bare , h u Nor t e ranke grassie fe nes delights untride . But swe ete none Of these , how ever they beene, ’ : Mote please his fancie, nor him cause t abide His choicefull sense with every change doth ﬂit

No common things may please a wavering wit .

To the gay gardins his unstaid desire to Him wholly carried, refresh his sprights u in There lavish Nat re her best attire, Po wres forth sweete odors and alluring sights; t And Ar e , with her contending, doth aspire ’ T excell the naturall with made delights ; or u And all , that faire pleasant may be fo nd , e cesse In riotous x doth there abound .

b e u ﬂie There arriving ro nd about doth ,

From bed to bed, from one to other border, s v And take sur ey, with curious busie eye , Of every howre and herbe there set in order N e w now this, that, he tasteth tenderly, e Yet none of th m he rudely doth disorder, feete Ne with his their silken leaves deface,

But pastures on the pleasures of each place .

v arietie And evermore, with most sweetnesse sweete And change of , (for all change is ) t s s to satisﬁe He cas s his glutton en e , N w suc in sa m e e te o k g of the p of herbe most , of the th o lie Or deaw which yet on em d es , Now in the same bathing his tender fe e te ; earcheth And then he p on some braunch thereby, him his m o st To weather , and y wings to dry .

a aine tu And then g he rneth to his play, To spoyle the pleasures of that Paradise ; u an d The wholesome Sa lge, Lavender still gray ,

- m for s Ranke smelling Rue, and Cu min good eye , rai nin of The Roses g g in the pride May, Iso e for m d s Sharpe p , good greene wounds re e ie ,

- T him e Faire Marigoldes , and Bees alluring e a a d e Swe t M rjor m, and Daysies ecking prim

Coole Violets , and Orpine growing still , t chearfnll Emba hed Balme, and Galingale,

Costm arie b re athfull Cam omill Fresh , and ,

- uick nin Dull Poppie, and drink q g Setuale, Ve ne - i - n l y healing Verven, and l ed purgi g Dil ,

S avorie b t - Sound , and Bazil ar ie hale, Colw orts Fat , and comforting Perseline,

O . olde Lettuce , and refreshing Rosmarine And whatso else Of vertue good or ill

r Grewe in this Gardin, fetcht f om farre away, e verie t t Of one he takes, and as es at will,

And on their pleasures greedily doth pray . e th Th n, when he ha both plaid and fed his ﬁll , e d sth imself In the warm Sunne he h e embay, And there him rests in riotous snfﬁ saunce his ladful e n s o aunce . Of all g , and kingly j y

7 Take again a stanza from the Epithalamion (p . 58 )

Bring with you all the Nymphes that you can heare of t r n Both the rivers and the forres s g ee e, And of the sea that neighbours to her neare irlands beseen Al with gay g goodly wel e . And let them also with them bring in hand

Another gay girland, lill es of For my fayre love, of y and roses, u u wize Bo nd tr elove , with a blew silke riband e of And let them mak great store bridale poses, of And let them eeke bring store other ﬂowers, T d o eck the bridale bowers . , her f And let the ground whereas oot shall tread, f o n For feare the stones her tender o t should wro g, f r ﬂ Be strewed with rag ant owers all along,

And diapre d lyke the discolored mead . awa t Which done, doe at her chamber dore y , For she will waken strayt ; s The whiles doe ye this song unto her ing, E c h to u c o . The woods shall you answer, and yo r ring

Many other examples of the same manner might for be quoted from Spenser ; and as Keats, pure delight ’ of for b e in the beauty nature eauty s sake, is express d on hi almost every page of his works . Interesting in t s connectio n are the lines addressed to Spenser at the of close an Induction to a Poem (p . in which Keats expresses the hope of being able to see what Spenser had seen before him

f slo wide plains , air trees and lawny w

The morn , the eve, the light, the shade, the ﬂowers ; “ s a s. Clear tre ms , smooth lakes, and overlooking tower

His hO pe had been already fulﬁlled in the very

ﬁrst stanzas he ever wrote, in the poem called the

: Imitation of Spenser . Thus

n n t Now Mor i g from her orien chamber came , ’ And her ﬁrst footsteps touch d a verdant hill ;

f fr Again the ollowing lines om Endymion (IV. 570— 579 s ) were, I do not doubt, sugge ted by those of M uiO otm os stanzas the p , that have been quoted above :

! ! art too ! Ah, ephyrus here, and Flora of the de w Ye tender bibbers rain and , l ff Young p aymates of the rose and da odil, Be l in l carefu , ere ye enter , to ﬁl Your baskets high e With f nnel green, and balm, and golden pines,

- Savory, latter mint, and columbines

l t. Cool pars ey, basil swee and sunny thyme ; of Yea, every ﬂower and leaf every clime, ’ All gather d in the dewy morning :

Further evidence of the sensuous character of the inﬂuence exerted by the one writer upon the other may u f be found in their d eli n e ati o n o f th e h m an o rm . “ n For i stance, the expression creamy breast used by ! Keats in the poem beginning ,, Woman when I behold 29 t ﬂi ant . hee pp , vain (p ) is a reminiscence of the Spenserian Her brest like to a bowle O f cre ame nu “ i h u E t . cr dded ( p p . Keats refers , moreover, to directly this verse in the ,, Epistle to Charles Cowden 41 Clarke (p . ) Small good to one who had by Mulla’s stream

Fondled the maidens with the breasts of cream .

of The women the Faerie Queene , painted in the words of a vocabulary, which in breadth and richness has seldom been equalled and never surpassed, have the golden hair and snowy limbs, the rosy warmth and soft contours that one sees on the canvas of Guercino ; ’ l s im under Spenser s touch, physica beauty put on

mortality . The following stanzas may be quoted as of u for - x evidence his geni s word painting, and as e am 12 6 of . . . 3 ples pure sensuousness (F Q II , And all the margent round about was sett to f With shady Laurell trees , thence de end billow es The sunny beames which on the bett,

And those which therein bathed mote offend . ha ned n As Guyon p by the same to we d, T o D am z lles t e s de w naked e he herein py , Which therein bathing seemed to contend ’ ne c And wrestle wantonly, ar d to hyde e Their dainty partes from v w Of any which them eyd . Sometimes the one would lift the other quight n a aine Above the waters, and then dow e g

- m a ster d Her plong, as over y e by might, rem aine Where both awhile would covered , And each the other from to rise restraine ; a The whiles their snowy limbes, as through vele, S O through the christall waves appeared plaine ; sudde inl Then y both would themselves unhele, ’ And th am arous sweet S poile s to greedy eyes revele .

the As that faire Starre, messenger Of morne, His deawy face out of the sea doth reare ; oddesse Or as the Cyprian g , newly borne ’ ’ th fruitfull f a eare Of Ocean s roth, did ﬁrst pp

Such seemed they , and so their yellow heare Christalline u wn h mor dropped do e apace .

G ne are Whom such when uyon saw, he drew him , And somewhat gan relent his earnest pace ; stubb orne o His brest gan secret pleasaunce t embrace .

T he n wanton Maidens, him espyi g, stood Gazing awhile at his unwonted guise ; ’ th one Then her selfe low ducked in the ﬂood, A b asht that her a straunger did avise ;

But thother rather higher did arise , l dis la d And her two illy paps aloft p y , And all that might his melting hart entyse To her delights she unto him b e wrayd ;

The rest hidd underneath him more desirous made .

With that the other likewise up arose,

And her faire lockes, which . formerly were b ownd U adowne p in one knott, she low did lose, ’ n low cloth d arow nd Which ﬂowi g and thick her , ’ And th yvorie in golden mantle gownd :

S .) S that faire pectacle from him was reft,

Yet that which reft it no lesse faire was fownd. a f lock e rs So hidd in lockes and w ves rom theft, f “ Nought but her lovely ace she for his looking left.

m z ff These are re arkable stan as, and their e ect upon n k eenlv of the se ses of Keats, so alive to impressions

u e . physical beauty, m st have been great and perman nt i l in Certa n y, he attempted to imitate them some lines ’ the li d in poem beginning ,, Hadst thou v in days of old “ (page 24)

3k 7k 3k a?

’ these discern d With beauties, scarce ,

Kept with such sweet privacy, That they seldom meet the eye Of the little loves that ﬂy

Round abound with eager pry . e Saving wh n, with freshening lave, ’ Thou dipp st them in the taintless wave ; w Like t in water lillies, born

In the coolness of the morn .

at if: at:

’ Hadst thou liv d when chivalry

Lifted up her lance on high, Tell me what then wouldst have been ? Ah ! I see the silver sheen ’ O f broider d thy , ﬂoating vest ’ Cov ring half thine ivory breast : ! u Which , O heavens I sho ld see, But that cruel de stiny ’ Has plac d a golden cuirass there ;

Keeping secret what is fair . t of With regard to the preceding quo ations, it is course impossible to say how far the one poet was l t It real y influenced by he other. would be perhaps n S e e l e n v e r more exact to speak of an i nate affinity , w a n dtsc ha ft o m u , which led Keats t i itate, conscio sly or n e u unconsciously, certain passages of a striki gly s nsuo s f e character in the work O the elder poet . The att mpt of certain critics to deny to Spenser any influence e n of upon K ats from a sensuous poi t view must, how in ever, the light of the preceding passages be charac d teriz e as a failure . Moreover it must be remembered that Keats was a very young man when he wrote these lines (he was too t still a young man when he died) ; and then , af er of all the talk about the allegory the Faerie Queene, the fact remains that beauty and delight are the dom inant u of and preeminent feat res the poem, and the its b f best criticism upon moral aim is to e ound, in n of my Opi ion, in the blunt words Hazlitt that the ’ “ allegory ,, won t bite us . It is highly improbable that ’ a young man of Keat s fiery passionate nature would have bothered himself about tracing out the Often- times the l obscure allegory or allegories in poem ; certain y, f this feature in the Faerie Queene has le t, so far as

I can see, little or no impress upon his poetry, whereas the u sensuous passages that have been q oted , taken in connection with the Spenserian element in his diction, f f n and his requent usage o the Spe serian stanza, all prove conclusively the spirit of mind in which he read . F e and e of e r the aerie Qu ene, the sinc rity his r ma k , e of e that ,, with a great poet the s nse Beauty ver s h come every other consideration, or rat er obliterates “ 1 all consideration . ) ’ of f Toward the close his li e , Keats love for the un n beauty of the iverse became more reﬁned , deepeni g “

n . as into a stra ge pathos ,, How tonishingly, he writes , does the chance of leaving the world impress a sense of ! e ls ff its natural beauties upon us Lik poor Fa ta , ’ ‘ O f u though I do not babble, I think green fields ; I m se with the greatest affection on every flower I have — known from my infancy their shapes and colours are as new to me as if I had just created them with a h super uman fancy . It is because they are connected with the most thoughtless and the happiest moments of f our lives . I have seen oreign flowers in hothouses, of n u the most beautiful at re, but I do not care a straw for our them . The simple flowers Of Spring are what I want to see again “ ) This growth in refinement of feeling had already made itself perceptible in his

delineation of female character . In the volume of 1 81 7 and in Endymion there is everywhere present an over whelming sense of delight in the merely physical for f an d aspects of beauty . But, while his passion orm r r colou never forsook him, it ceased, in his more matu e o s t f producti n , to be the dominant m o i ; his spiritual n one to visio became clearer, is tempted say, Words

worthian . The impression left upon the mind after a of t f perusal he Eve of St . Agnes is one of awe be ore

the white innocence and the chastity of Madeline . One thinks involuntarily of the picture of the woman drawn by the purest of poets in that grand burst of song l known as the Epitha amion . Fair, yes ; but chaste, r chaste . Keats dwells upon this feature of her characte — 1 e e . 57 2 4 1 4 2 ) tt rs, p . ) b d . pp . 6 6 . L I i , ’ I w l s s , , i l not harm her, by all aints I wear ’ ’ Quoth Porphyro : 0 may I ne er ﬁnd grace

When my weak voice shall whisper its last prayer, of If one her soft ringlets I displace , Or look with rufﬁan passion in her face Her very touch is sufﬁcient to impart spirit and chastity to things material : f l Sa e at ast,

Through many a dusky gallery, they gain ’ ’ “ hush d . The maiden s chamber, silken , and chaste

a -ﬁfth is Ag in , in the twenty stanza, it her purity that is emphasized the Full on this casement shone wintry moon, ’ u And threw warm g les on Madeline s fair breast, ’ As down she knelt for heaven s grace and b e e n ;

- Rose bloom fell on her hands, together prest, f And on her silver cross so t amethyst ,

er h And on h air a glory, like a saint ’ e m d She se a splendid angel, newly drest, for — : Save wings, heaven Porphyro grew faint i i f f . She knelt, so pure a th ng, so ree rom mortal ta nt

Once more, she lies at rest ’ Clasp d like a missal where swart Paynims pray ; k f h f Blinded ali e rom suns ine and rom rain,

As though a rose should shut, and be a bud again .

’ I do not believe that this growth of Keats spiritual vision can be ascribed to the inﬂuence of Spenser or of any other man ; it was simply the natural consequence a n i of increase in years, which tended at the same t me

of h. to cool the hot passions his yout It has, how ever, been necessary to notice this development in Keats’ work in order to guard myself against the imputation of believi ng that he remained throughout his life merely the poet of Light feet, dark violet eyes , and parted hair ;

t. Soft dimpled hands, white neck, and creamy breas

’ The awakening of Keats love for chivalry may o i be ascribed to the inﬂuence f the Faer e Queene . r f r of h Chival y, that eatu e romanticism whic ﬁnds its most perfect expression in the works of Walter Scott constitutes the frame upon which several of Keats poems are built . A few lines from the Induction to a Poem will give a good idea of the youthful poet’ s effort h 12— 1 3 to revive c ivalry (pp. )

of ,, Lo ! I must tell a tale chivalry ;

For large white plumes are dancing in mine eye . N ot like the formal crest of latter days But bending in a thousand graceful ways ; S O l gracefu , that it seems no mortal hand, ’ ’ Or e en the touch of Archimago s wand,

Could charm them into such an attitude . u We must think rather, that in playf l mood, ’ ru f Some mountain breeze had tu d its chie delight,

To show this wonder of its gentle might. Lo ! I must tell a tale of chivalry ; s For while I muse, the lance point slantingly

h i : w At wart the morn ng air some lady s eet, f for f Who cannot eel cold her tender eet, From the worn top of some old battlement i s fe Hails it w th tear , her stout de nder sent f m i And from her own pure sel no joy disse bl ng, “ Wraps round her ample robe with happy trembling .

the f to f Besides re erence Archimago , the amous enchanter of the Faerie Queene (B . the poem closes with the following address to Spenser (p . ! d Spenser thy brows are arche , open, kind, And come like a clear S lut- rise to my mind ;

v f . Might li e, and show itsel to human eyes ’ ’ far-fam d G ondibert Tis the , the brave Sir , Said the good man to Calidore alert ; While the young warrior with a step of grace m u — a u fa Ca e p, co rtly smile upon his ce,

And mailed hand held out, ready to greet ’ - The large ey d wonder, and ambitious heat O f the aspiring boy ; who as he led ’ l s ft u Those smiling adie , o en tur d his head To admire the visor arch’ d so gracefully Over a knightly brow ; while they went by ’ s f - n e The lamp that rom the high roof d hall were pe d nt, “ And gave the steel a shining quite transcendent. The same note is struck again in the three follow “ 22 f O u . . ing stanzas ( rom ,, Receiving a Shell, etc , p )

Hast the n a steed with a mane richly ﬂowing ? ’ Hast the n a sword that thine enemy s smart is ? Hast then a trumpet rich melodies blowing ? ’ ’ And wear st then the shield of the fam d Britomartis ?

!The heroine of the third book of the Faerie Queene . !

What is it that hangs from thy shoulder, so brave, ’ E mb roider d with many a spring peering ﬂower ? Is it a scarf that thy fair lady gave ? And hastest thou now to that fair lady’ s bower ?

“ of !Note the use the word brave beautiful,

7 32 . 9 19 . 29 . 2 13 . 7 and cf. F . Q . I . , ; I , ; I , ; I , ; I

12 3 . 3 30 1 . 8 1 1 4 . 6 6 10 42 . 3 , ; I , ; II , ; II , ; III , ; 3 III . ,

’ l crown d; Ah courteous Sir Knight, with arge joy thou art Full many the glories that brighten thy youth ! l I will tel thee my blisses, which richly abound “ In magical powers to bless, and to sooth . Take again these lines from the poem to 24 (pp .

’ Hadst thou liv d when chivalry f i Li ted up her lance on h gh, Tell me what the n wouldst have been ? A h! I see the silver sheen ’ O f b roide r d thy , ﬂoating vest ’ Cov ring half thine ivory breast ; n ! Which, O heave s I should see , But that cruel destiny ’ Has plac d a golden cuirass there ;

Keeping secret what is fair . Like sunbeams in a cloudlet nested Thy locks in knightly casque are reste d ’ O er which bend four milky plumes Like the gentle lilly ’ s blooms in Spr ging from a costly vase . See with what a stately pace Comes thine alabaster steed ; Servant of heroic deed ! ’ O e r his loins, his trappings glow

Like the northern lights on snow . Mount his back ! thy sword unsheath ! ’ Sign of the enchanter s death ; Bane of every wicked spell ; ’ o Silencer f dragon s yell . Alas ! the n this wilt never do : n too Thou art an e chantress , And wilt surely never spill

Blood of those whose eyes can kill .

Once more, in the Epistle to George Keats, we i have th s scene from the days of chivalry (p . 37)

It has been said, dear George, and true I hold it

F or b it ( knightly Spenser to Li ertas told , ) a

t c That when a Poet is in such a ran e, i In air he sees wh te coursers paw, and prance, of Bestridden gay knights, in gay apparel, l fu Who at each other tilt in p ay l quarrel ,

- t n And what we, ignorantly, sheet ligh ni g call, f of Is the swi t opening their wide portal, w his e When the bright warder blo s trumpet cl ar, ’ Whose tones reach nought on earth but Poet s ear . h W en these enchanted portals open wide, the t e And through the light horsemen swif ly glid , ’ The Poet s eye can reach those golden halls, And view the glory ' of their festivals f ha d t Their ladies air, t t in the is ance seem ’ ’ Fit for the silv ring of a seraph s dream ; ’ b rimm d e t Their rich gobl ts, tha incessant run Like the bright spots that move about the sun ; d f h And, when uphel , the wine rom eac bright jar

Pours with the lustre of a falling star . f off Yet urther , are dimly seen their

Still other passages of the same character m ay be ’ found here and there in Keats early poems . It is only in of 1 81 7 the volume , however, that it is possible to u trace this inﬂ ence, which pertains not so much to the method O f treatment as to the choice O f subject- matter ;

u - later on it is not the s bject matter, but the general S t i m m m u n g O f the poet which appears in the fore n it i grou d, and would be here perhaps imposs ble to separate Spenser’ s influence from the numerous others that contributed to the development of the romantic r of spi it of Keats , the individual, as well as the romantic movement of the age . At the same time it is difficult to imagine what influence could have been so powerful in fostering and developin g the romantic element in ’ s o Keats work a that f Spenser. Such is my sense of the relation existing between f S penser and Keats . Spenserian influence has been ound ’ in Keats method of handling metre and in his frequent usage of the Spenserian Stanza ; the Spenserian element in his vocabulary has been shown to be everyw here present, in his latest as well as in his earliest produc tions, appearing at times even in his letters, the language of every - day life ; and a certain number of lines and l poems have been pointed out, which, part y sensuous , ns partly romantic, owe their existence to the i piration caught by their author from the poetical works O f

Spenser . x e f I venture to e press the hope that th se acts, il however insigniﬁcant they may be , w l contribute something toward furthering the knowledge of two poets whose names are of so great importance 111 the history O f English song . Index of Words Compared .

aff a 9 2 s 1 1 15 30 r 1 1 . r ; . y ; g i ly, ;

e 1 e 1 1 amat , 6 . ma ries . i g ,

e u 24 n a 29. an r us . A g l , l g o o ,

tw ee 16 libbat' d 12 15 a n . , . , ; b e 1 7 21 1 a . ut 9. l , ; lo

anneral 2 ee e ts 20 b 2 . n dm n . , ,

i us 22 26 e 12 15 batta . pass n d, . lo , ; io ;

ea s a 9 ° 15 P eona 29 b d m n, ; , .

e t 23 e ce t 12 b d h . p r an . ig , ,

es e 10 1 30 20 21 b pr nt, 5 ; . p ht . ; ig , ; b e 54 2 rav , . pr c et 25 6. i k , ;

a ce 29 13 C du an, . raft .

e 3 0 caeru 3. 25 26 3 . , ramp ; l , ; ce u e 32 3 15 r an . rau ht 1 . l , g , ;

a 22 2 30 s s 3 c 6 . a 1 . oron l, ; ; llow , 0 ’s 2 c vert 1 1 5 30. de n 9. o , ; ; ig , s 4 aed l 0 e e 1 . d a e 1 . em h d, , li s l 25 30 t 22 26 . ha p ; . d h , ig , ; l o

i c e 24 26. e t 14 15. d s olour d , ; sh n , ;

’

s 24 2 oulder d 29. d part 6. sh , i , ;

s e 27 s 17 21 u . t t . mb r di raugh , ; l y ,

ff 28 ee 33 d . t n, . o ,

e ri e t 18 inct 9 . dr a m n , . t ,

n e s 25 26 drear 27 . u d r ng, ; . y, o

s e 14 elf 29 . un h nt . , ,

wee 28. e ie ce 18 21 . d mp r d , ; ,

s i 15 e e t 26 30 . e p a 1 1 . wond rm n , ; l , ;

e e 1 1 15 w ox 14 . et rn . , , ;

a 18 21 fr y ; . Literature.

T he e se e d n 1893 r s p n r G b c . ndo . Wo k of S , lo , Lo ,

T he e c s s e cd n n 18 5 t a r ohn Keat d n . o d 9 . Po i l Wo k of J , Al i , L o ,

T he e s ed A rn 1 t c e . 888 a r s hn K at , . . o d nd n . Po i l Wo k of Jo W T l , Lo o ,

T he e c s ed Bux ou n n 18 o t a r s hn Keat . . t rma , don 96 . P i l Wo k of Jo , H Fo Lo ,

T he ette s e ed Bux ou n 18 5 r hn K ats . . t rman nd 9 . L of Jo , H Fo , Lo o ,

ea s M ss K t b . . ett nd n 1887 . y W Ro i, Lo o ,

e t e in n 188 K a s b dn v nd 9. y Si y Col , Lo o ,

’ e t e und u e - di s E u K a s u nd nd Ge chte v n . p n . t d . . J g J g o J Hoo , gl S XXI 20 —310 pp . 9 .

s c e i O e e Mr i cd 1816 h w th th r ms b s. enr he ond n , 5M . . P y Po y H y T g , L o ,

E n e B s 18 3 n sh ma t c Movement b am n h ps ton , 9 . gli Ro i y Willi Lyo P l , o

N es G d n 185 ar ossar e . a we and r ht o don 9 . l y, H lli ll W ig , L ,

c ce o M B 1 894 n rdan t t n b hn radshaw nd n , . Co o il o y Jo , Lo o

c n e o e B e n 18 4 n rda c t ha esp are b hn art tt d n , 9 . Co o S k y Jo l , Lo o

N ew E n — n ess sh D ict onar A C arend r . gli i y ( ) , Cl o P