“At any rate, Keats finds no consolation in earthly love. As unsatisfactory as this attitude is, it is Keats’s attitude. Keats imagines an eternal love of perfect bliss, whose very changelessness appeals to him…”
-Austin on Keats
Reading Austin’s critique further proved my original theory that literary criticism is never right nor wrong. It’s an opinion, most times a very well informed opinion, but opinion nonetheless! How could Austin know for certain that it “is Keats’s attitude” on love? This time I happen to agree with Austin but only because I found myself thinking the same thing as I read the poem. And I think Keats has a great point with the perfectness of an eternal love frozen in time. But I don’t believe Austin is the one to say for certain that Keats means that.
I enjoyed reading this critique because Austin wrote it well and was highly informed. I wish I would’ve had the time to Wikipedia all the texts Austin referenced. He had an excellent critique and it the organization of the writing made you believe that there could be no other opinion but Austin’s. Despite the quality of writing, it was still Austin’s opinion, not John Keats’.
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