When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain, Before high-pilèd books, in charactery, Hol
d like rich garners the full ripened grain; When I behold, upon the night’s starred face, Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance, And think that I may never live to trace Their shadows with the magic hand of chance; And when I feel, fair creature of an hour, That I shall never look upon thee more, Never have relish in the faery power Of unreflecting love—then on the shore Of the wide world I stand alone, and think Till love and fame to nothingness do sink. 1. PART A: Which of the following best describes a theme of the poem?
A
Lost love
B
Fear of the unknown
C
Never achieving one’s desires
D
Brevity of life
2.
PART B: Cite evidence from the text to support your answer to Part A.
3.
What does the term “faery power” most likely mean in line 11?
A
Enchantment
B
A magical, elusive force
C
Make-believe ideas
D
Just and gentle forces
4.
Which of the following statements best describes how the structure reflects the poem?
A
The end rhyme and meter contribute a lyricism to the poem, creating a humorous and amused tone.
B
The first three quatrains reflect the speaker’s three greatest fears in life, and the final couplet reveals the speaker’s belief that he will ultimately find relief from these fears in death.
C
The sonnet form reflects the Romantic ideals of sensual imagery and love.
D
The first three quatrains reflect the speaker’s desires in life, and the final couplet represents the “turn” in the poem in which the speaker admits the inevitability of his ultimate failure.
5.
Which of the following statements best describes the conclusion Keats makes?
A
He concludes that all effort is for naught.
B
He concludes that everything will fade in death anyway.
C
His conclusion is that these fears make him an island onto himself.
D
He concludes that his worries over love and fame are essentially without worth
The main theme of the poem is the brevity of life. This theme is touched on not only talking about the worries and insecurities of the poet, but also the frank observations of the knowledge he has that life cannot last forever. The poet seems to lament the shortness of life since he entertains hopes of experiencing so many beautiful things.
Some of the evidences that support the theme of life's short duration are the statements about the ceasing to exist or not living to fully experience all the magic life has to offer. Perhaps the clearest example of the poets idea of a fleeting life is when he states fair creature of an hour. This line demonstrates the true briefness of life from the poet's perspective.
It seems that faery power in this context is unconditional love, but that it also has a magical element to it. This part could be a consequence of the poet never having fallen in love or feeling incapable of finding such a love in the short time that he has available to him. It could also be a reflection of the beauty of a love that he can only imagine because it is out of reach.
The first quatrains of the poem, while laced with melancholy, speak of what the author hopes to gain from life and the experiences that he wishes to live. Even though he is aware that he probably will not have the chance, he maintains the desire to live them. The final couplet is characterized not by the acceptance of defeat but rather of the inevitable.
The overall message that can be taken from Keat's conclusion in this poem is that worrying over love and fame accomplishes nothing. He does not conclude that all effort is useless because beauty lies in ambition and desire. His fears do not make him an island because he feels connected to the Universe if only for an instant.
