"On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" : Characters
"On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" is a notable literary work by John Keats. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer".
Characters
The Speaker: The poem is written in the first person, and the speaker is John Keats himself. He is the central character who experiences the emotions and revelations described in the poem.
George Chapman: While not a physical character in the poem, George Chapman is the translator of Homer’s works. He is a significant literary figure. He brought the ancient Greek epics of Homer to the English-speaking world.
Homer: Homer is the ancient Greek poet and author of epic poems such as the Iliad and the Odyssey. In the poem, Homer represents the classical world of literature and culture that the speaker has discovered through Chapman’s translation.
Cortez and Balboa: These historical figures are mentioned in the poem to draw a parallel to the speaker’s sense of discovery. Cortez and Balboa were Spanish explorers who, like the speaker, experienced awe and wonder when they first encountered new lands and vistas.