So Bright and Delicate, By John Keats
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Following the opening earlier this month of Bright Star, Jane Campion's film about the love affair between John Keats and Fanny Brawne, Penguin has clearly decided to target young, love-sick girls, which inevitably means lots of flowers on the cover of this collection of letters and poems from Keats to his neighbour. Yet I'm not sure those girls will find what they're looking for in this book: the bulk is about the misery and pain of the reality of love, not its joys.
Keats died tragically young from tuberculosis, possibly confounded by some other disease such as syphilis. But whatever Keats' other loves may have been, it's his relationship with Brawne that fascinates, largely because it came towards the end of his life and was very likely unconsummated. Separated by his increasing illness, he wrote passionately and candidly to her, with the reproaches over misunderstandings that distance inevitably brings, about the torture of being physically apart, as well as the hopes and fears for a future that was never to happen.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments