100 Selected Poems: John Keats

A beautiful collection of 100 essential poems by John Keats—the Romantic poet whose brief, brilliant life produced some of the most perfect and beloved verses in the English language, celebrating beauty, mortality, and the transcendent power of imagination.

John Keats (1795-1821) died of tuberculosis at only 25 years old, yet in his short life he achieved what many consider the pinnacle of English poetry. His work combines sensuous beauty with philosophical depth, exploring the relationship between art and mortality, beauty and truth, the eternal and the fleeting. This collection of 100 selected poems presents the full range of his genius—from his immortal odes to narrative romances, from intimate sonnets to visionary fragments.

What you'll discover:

• "Ode to a Nightingale"—meditation on mortality, beauty, and transcendence
• "Ode on a Grecian Urn"—exploring the relationship between art, beauty, and truth
• "To Autumn"—perhaps the most perfect poem in English, celebrating seasonal beauty
• "Ode on Melancholy"—profound exploration of sorrow and joy intertwined
• "The Eve of St. Agnes"—lush narrative romance in Spenserian stanzas
• "La Belle Dame sans Merci"—haunting ballad of enchantment and loss
• "Bright Star"—tender sonnet on love and immortality
• Selections from "Endymion," "Hyperion," and other major works
• Sonnets, epistles, and lyric poems showcasing his development as a poet

Keats's poetry is characterized by extraordinary sensory richness—he writes of "beaded bubbles winking at the brim," "the murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves," creating images that engage all the senses. Yet beneath this sensuous beauty lies profound philosophical inquiry. His famous declaration "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" captures his belief that aesthetic experience reveals ultimate reality.

What makes Keats essential is his ability to transform personal suffering into universal art. Facing his own early death, he created poetry that celebrates beauty while acknowledging mortality, that finds joy while embracing melancholy. His odes are masterpieces of form and feeling, his narratives blend medieval romance with psychological insight, and his letters reveal one of the most brilliant literary minds in history.

This hardcover edition of 100 selected poems provides a comprehensive introduction to Keats's work, including all his major poems plus lesser-known gems that reveal the breadth of his achievement. It's the perfect collection for experiencing why Keats remains one of the most beloved and influential poets in the English language.

Perfect for: Lovers of Romantic poetry and lyric verse, students of English literature, readers drawn to poetry of beauty and sensory richness, those interested in the relationship between art and mortality, fans of the great odes and narrative poetry, collectors seeking essential Romantic poets, and anyone who believes that beauty and truth are inseparable.

This hardcover edition presents 100 essential poems by John Keats—a beautiful collection celebrating one of the greatest lyric poets in the English language.