Author's Notes: "Keats--Romantic Humanist " is a Double Dactyl write that I wrote as a tribute to John Keats the great romantic humanist of the early 19th century. Keats lived a short, but very busy life in destiny and like-fate as did his famous romantic colleagues and contemporaries: Lord George Gordon Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. In his fast-fused life beginning with his birth in 1795 and resulting later in a tragic tubercular death in 1821, Keats lived to the young age of 25 but accomplished so much in his short life span similar to Byron and Shelley. His poetry was not popular during his lifetime which was the same for with Shelley; however, like many great writers and artists his reputation grew over time after his death resulting in his being one of the most beloved English poets by the end of the 19th century. In addition to the marvelous poetry he left for posterity, Keats' poetic works went on to influence the development of many popular poets and writers in later years. In formulating my double dactyl theme, I researched a number of his well-known poems to include his various famous lyrical ode writes. I ended up settling on his well-known ballad, "La Belle Dame sans Merci" (from the French: "The Beautiful Lady without Mercy"), as the subject poem of this dactyl write. In addition to Keats' lyrical writes, "La Belle Dame sans Merci" has always been one of my favorite poems from the 19th century with its noticeable imagery and symbolism, and its clear focus on the themes of life and death as a dying knight expires in the supernatural lure of an evil enchantress of great beauty but obvious deadly intention. This poem seemed like just the right fit here for my double dactyl narrative. (Gary Bateman - August 17, 2015) (Double Dactyl)

Categories:  allegory, death, destiny, imagery, love, passion, and symbolism.