"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, and various study materials of "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer".
Key Facts
Author: John Keats (1795-1821)
Original Title: On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer
Title of the Author:
Written Date: October 1816
Published Date: First published in “The Examiner” in 1816 and later in Poems (1817), Keats’s first collection.
Form: Petrarchan Sonnet (Italian Sonnet)
Meter: Iambic Pentameter
Tone: Excited & Reflective
Genre: Romantic Poetry / Sonnet
Total Lines: 14
Stanzas: 1 (as it is a sonnet)
Point of View: First-person (uses “I”)
Rhyme Scheme: ABBAABBA CDCDCD
Setting:
Key Notes
Chapman’s Homer:
George Chapman translated Homer’s famous Greek poems (Iliad and Odyssey) into English. Keats had heard of Homer before, but when he read Chapman’s simple and strong translation, he felt like he discovered a new and exciting world.
Realms of Gold:
“Realms of gold” means the rich and beautiful world of great books and stories. Keats had read many books, but he truly understood Homer’s greatness only after reading Chapman’s version.
Homer:
Keats calls Homer a great king of the poetry world. He uses the words “deep-brow’d Homer” to show that Homer was very wise and powerful, and his poems were full of deep meaning.
Historical Error:
Keats writes that “Cortez” discovered the Pacific Ocean. But this is a mistake. In real history, Balboa was the first European to see the Pacific. Still, this mistake doesn’t ruin the poem’s beauty.
Apollo:
Apollo is the Greek god of light, beauty, and poetry. In the poem, Apollo stands for the power of art and poetry.
Darien:
Darien is a hilly area in Panama, Central America. It is the place from where the Pacific Ocean was first seen by Europeans.