Keats, John

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English poet. He produced work of the highest quality and promise, belonging to the artistic school of Romanticism, before dying at the age of 25. Poems (1817), Endymion (1818), the great odes (particularly ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ and ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ written in 1819, published in 1820), and the narratives ‘Isabella; or the Pot of Basil’ (1818), ‘Lamia’ (1819), and ‘The Eve of St Agnes’ (1820), show his lyrical richness and talent for drawing on both classical mythology and medieval lore.

Born in London, Keats studied at Guy's Hospital from 1815–17, but then abandoned medicine for poetry. Endymion was harshly reviewed by the Tory Blackwood's Magazine and Quarterly Review, largely because of Keats's friendship with the radical English writer Leigh Hunt (1784–1859). In 1819 he fell in love with Fanny Brawne (1802–1865). Suffering from tuberculosis, in September 1820, he sailed to Italy in an attempt to cure his worsening illness. He died in Rome, and was buried in the Protestant cemetery there.

Orange represents courage and sacrifice. White represents truth, purity, and peace. Green represents faith, fertility, and chivalry. The emblem is the Ashoka Chakra (‘Wheel of the Law’). Effective date: 22 July 1947. >>