Critical Appreciation of Sonnet “When I have fears”

Introduction
This poem is written by John Keats. It is a sonnet as it has fourteen lines. It is a
Shakespearian sonnet as it consists of three quatrains and a couplet. It was written
in 1818 but it was published in 1848 after the death of John Keats.

‫یہ نظم جان کیٹس نے لکھی ہے۔ یہ ایک سانٹ ہے کیونکہ اسکی چودہ الئنیں ہیں۔ یہ شیکسپیرین سانٹ‬
‫ء میں لکھی گئی تھی‬1818 )‫رباعیات اورایک کپلٹ پر مشتمل ہے۔ یہ(نظم‬/‫بند‬/‫ قطعات‬3 ‫ہے کیونکہ یہ‬
‫ء میں جان کیٹس کی موت کے بعد شائع کی گئی۔‬1848 ‫لیکن یہ‬

Summary
The poet has the fear of his premature death. His mind is full of thoughts so he
wants to write these thoughts in poetry before his death. When he sees towards the
sky to look at the starry night, he thinks that he could not be able to live more to
find out the meanings of the symbols of romance. When he feels that his death is
near and he would not be able to see his beloved more, he feels lonely. He is
fearful that his love and fame will die with his early death.

Major themes
Theme of Death
John Keats led a very tragic life. His father died in a horse riding accident when he
was only ten years old. His mother died of tuberculosis when was fifteen. His
younger brother, whom Keats nursed, also died of tuberculoses at the age of
nineteen. He himself suffered from tuberculoses and died at very young age. So he
witnessed many deaths that became a disturbing fear for him. That is why; mostly
we find the theme of death in his poetry.

This poem is full with the theme of death. John Keats has the fear of his early
death. He is unable to share his ideas, to trace the meaning of mystic symbols and
to enjoy the love of his beloved due to his early death.

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‫یہ نظم موت کے موضوع سے بھری ہوئی ہے۔ جان کیٹس کو اپنی جلد موت کا خوف ہے۔ وہ اپنی جلد‬
‫اور اپنی محبوبہ کی‬،‫ پراسرار عالمات کے معنی تالش کرنے‬،‫موت کی وجہ سے اپنے خیاالت بانٹنے‬
‫محبت سے لطف اندوز ہونے کےقابل نہیں ہے۔‬

Theme of Love
John Keats had love affair with Fanny Brawne but this love was only one- sided. In
this poem, poet feels fear of his early death. He says that his death will not allow
seeing his beloved in future and he will not be able to taste the power his love. In
this situation, when he is near to death, he feels lonely. He thinks that his love and
fame are useless and they will also die with his death

Poetic Devices
Following poetic devices are used in this poem:

Simlie: Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain

Personification: the night’s starred face, the magic hand of chance

Alliteration: feel, fair, wide world

Imegary: high-pilèd books, the full ripened grain, the night’s starred face, the
magic hand of chance

Conclusion:
The first quatrain of the poem shows that poet has the fear of death and the fear of
death of his ideas. The second quatrain tells that he wants to find and write the
meaning of those mystic symbols that he sees in the sky at night. The third quatrain
and the ending couplet show that he would not see his beloved and he could not
enjoy his love due to his early death. He is fearful that his love and fame will also
die with his death.

‫نظم کا پہال بند یہ ظاہر کرتا ہے کہ شاعر کو اپنی اور اپنے خیاالت کی موت کا خوف ہے۔ دوسرا بند‬
‫بتاتا ہے کہ وہ ان پراسرار عالمات کے معنی تالش کرنا اور لکھنا چاہتا ہے جو وہ رات کو آسمان پر‬
‫دیکھتا ہے۔ تیسرا قطعہ اور اختتامی کپلٹ یہ ظاہر کرتے ہیں کہ وہ اپنی جلد موت کی وجہ سے اپنی‬
‫محبوبہ کو نہیں دیکھ پائے گا اور اپنی محبت سے لطف اندوز نہیں ہو پائے گا۔ وہ خوفزدہ ہے کہ‬
‫اسکی محبت اور شہرت بھی اسکی موت کے ساتھ ختم ہو جائیں گے۔‬
Sajjad Haider M.A. English (Literature and linguistics) For more notes and MCQs files of
English Literature and Linguistics feel free to contact me at Whatsapp#+92313896218Page 2