John Keats 1795-1821

Keats earned his place in the tradition of English poetry by his courage to take the great of self-creation, his willingness to accept failure and move beyond it, his patience in learning his craft from those who could teach him. His sober prophecy as he started Hyperion-"I think I shall be among the English Poets after my death"-has been fulfilled; as Matthew Arnold confirmed it, sixty years later "He is-he is with Shakespeare."