Word Like a Bell: John Keats, Music and the Romantic PoetMusic was supremely important to the Romantic poets, particularly to John Keats. In this first book-length study on the subject, John A. Minahan explores Keats's work in relation to the art of music. Word Like a Bell considers Keats's major poems as well as his letters and minor verse. Writing in a jargon-free style, Minahan examines the relationship between the musical and literary manifestations of Romantic theory, and the connection between that theory and Keats's work. He then offers new insights into Keats's poetry and his era, among them a detailed explanation of why the "Great Odes" ought to be considered a single extended piece. Also receiving extensive treatment are Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, whose ideas and creations illustrate how music influences every aspect of Romantic thought. In his exploration of the relationship between different but related arts, Minahan both locates Romanticism in its historical and aesthetic context and expands the capabilities of literary criticism. He finds that music enables Romanticism to voice its fundamental concern about time and its passage, and shows us that an understanding of poetry's relation to music can enrich our appreciation of both arts while deepening our own experiences of time. This interdisciplinary study will appeal to readers of poetry and literary criticism and to professional musicians who would increase their understanding of an age's art, songwriters interested in word/music relations, and poets who crave an extensive discussion of poetic technique and craft that uses music as a way to clarify such points. |
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Page 35
... perhaps for always ... ( L12 ) And here I could go on complaining of my Misery , but I will keep myself cheerful for your Sakes . ( L167 ) I do believe if I could be a hatter I might be one . ( L311 ) Certainly , we expect to find such ...
... perhaps for always ... ( L12 ) And here I could go on complaining of my Misery , but I will keep myself cheerful for your Sakes . ( L167 ) I do believe if I could be a hatter I might be one . ( L311 ) Certainly , we expect to find such ...
Page 80
... perhaps music can act verbally without words . Note Keats's description : Porphyro's song is " long since mute ... Perhaps she had some verbal experience when he was " close to her ear touching [ not singing ] the mel- ody . " Perhaps ...
... perhaps music can act verbally without words . Note Keats's description : Porphyro's song is " long since mute ... Perhaps she had some verbal experience when he was " close to her ear touching [ not singing ] the mel- ody . " Perhaps ...
Page 119
... perhaps any other poet of the era . The actual sounds of words , in them- selves and in combination with other words , are crucial to the meaning of the poem - under certain conditions . We should not make more of this so - called ...
... perhaps any other poet of the era . The actual sounds of words , in them- selves and in combination with other words , are crucial to the meaning of the poem - under certain conditions . We should not make more of this so - called ...
Contents
The Varieties of Musical Experience | 29 |
Words Music and Interpretation | 59 |
The Romantic Uses of Sound | 98 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
achieve allows argued artist attention awareness Bate beauty becomes Beethoven begins called combination comes composed consciousness creates critical described difference dream early effect emotion empty enacts experience fact feel finally follow forward gives hear Heath ideas imagination important interpretation John Keats Keats's kind language lead less live loss lyric materials meaning melos memory mind move nature never notes odes once opposition ordinary organized particular passing past pattern perhaps poem poem's poet poet's poetic poetry possible present provides question re-collection reference region relation remains rhetorical rhyme rhythm Romantic Romantic poets says seeks seems sense shape Shelley song sonnet sound Special stanza structure suggests temporal theme thing thought tonal tone truth understand unfolding usual verbal verse voice wanted Wordsworth writing written