John Keats: Selected Writings

The essential scholarly edition of John Keats—selected poetry, letters, and critical prose from one of the greatest minds in English literature, revealing not only his immortal verses but also his brilliant insights on poetry, imagination, and the nature of beauty.

This comprehensive edition presents John Keats (1795-1821) as both poet and thinker. While his poetry alone would secure his place among the greatest writers in English, his letters are equally remarkable—containing profound reflections on "negative capability," the poetic imagination, and the relationship between beauty and truth. This scholarly collection brings together his essential poems with selections from his extraordinary correspondence, offering a complete portrait of one of literature's most brilliant minds.

What you'll discover:

• Essential poetry including all the great odes and narrative poems
• Selected letters—Keats's brilliant literary criticism and philosophy
• His famous concept of "negative capability"—the poet's capacity to embrace uncertainty
• Reflections on the "poetical character" and the nature of imagination
• Personal letters revealing his thoughts on love, mortality, and the creative process
• Critical introduction and scholarly notes providing historical and literary context
• Chronology of Keats's brief but extraordinary life
• Comprehensive apparatus for serious study and research

The Poetry: All of Keats's essential works—"Ode to a Nightingale," "Ode on a Grecian Urn," "To Autumn," "The Eve of St. Agnes," "La Belle Dame sans Merci," and selections from "Endymion" and "Hyperion."

The Letters: Keats's letters are masterpieces of literary thought. His concept of "negative capability"—the ability to remain "in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason"—has become fundamental to literary criticism. His reflections on the "poetical character," the "vale of soul-making," and the relationship between suffering and beauty reveal a philosophical mind of extraordinary depth.

This Oxford scholarly edition is essential for students, scholars, and serious readers who want to understand Keats not just as a poet but as a literary thinker whose ideas continue to shape how we understand poetry and imagination. The critical introduction and notes illuminate his work's historical context, philosophical influences, and enduring significance.

Perfect for: Students and scholars of Romantic literature, readers wanting Keats's letters and critical prose alongside his poetry, those studying literary theory and poetics, literature majors and graduate students, anyone interested in "negative capability" and Keats's literary philosophy, serious readers seeking a comprehensive scholarly edition, and those who want to understand the mind behind the masterpieces.

This hardcover scholarly edition presents John Keats's selected writings—poetry, letters, and prose with critical apparatus—the essential comprehensive collection for serious study of one of literature's greatest minds.