Record Number: 22617

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

[Marginalia in Keats's annotated copy of "Paradise Lost", Book 7, lines 420-34] Keats underlines the phrase "With clang despised the ground, under a cloud/ In prospect." He writes: 'Milton in every instance pursues his imagination to the utmost - he is "sagacious of his Quarry", he sees Beauty on the wing, pounces upon it and gorges it to the producing of his essential verse. "So from the root the springs lighter the green stalk," etc. But in no instance is this sort of perseverance more exemplified than in what may be called his stationing or statuary. He is not content with simple description, he must station, - thus here, we not only see how the Birds "with clang despised the ground" but we see them "under a cloud in prospect." So we see Adam "Fair indeed and tall - under a plantane" - and so we see Satan "disfigured - on the Assyrian Mount." This last with all its accompaniments, and keeping in mind the Theory of Spirits' eyes and the simile of Gallilio [sic], has a dramatic vastness and solemnity fit and worthy to hold one amazed in the midst of this "Paradise Lost" -'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

unknown

Country:

unknown

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

John Keats

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

31 Oct 1795

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

poet

Religion:

atheist

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

unknown

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

John Milton

Title:

Paradise Lost

Genre:

Other religious, Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned

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Source Information:

Record ID:

22617

Source:

Print

Author:

John Keats

Editor:

John Barnard

Title:

John Keats: The Complete Poems

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1988

Vol:

n/a

Page:

525

Additional Comments:

The marginalia is transcribed in Appendix 4 of this edition

Citation:

John Keats, John Barnard (ed.), John Keats: The Complete Poems , (London, 1988), p. 525, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=22617, accessed: 13 March 2025

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Additional Comments:

None