On First Looking into Chapman's Homer

This recording is in the public domain.

On first looking into Chapman's Homer by John Keats read for LibriVox.org much have i travelled in the realms of gold and many goodly states and kingdoms seen round many western islands have i been which bards in fealty to apollo hold oft of one wide expanse had i been told that deep-browed homer ruled as his domain yet did i never breathe its pure serene till i heard chapman speak out loud and bold then felt i like some watcher of the skies when a new planet swims into his ken or like stout cortez when with eagle eyes he stared at the pacific and all his men looked at each other with a wild surmise silent upon a peak in darien

End of poem.

This recording is in the public domain.

And when I feel, fair creature of an hour, that I shall never look upon thee more, never have relish in the fairy power of unreflecting love, then on the shore of the wide world I stand alone and think till love and fame to nothingness do sink.

Stanzas in a drear nighted december too happy happy tree thy branches ne'er remember their green felicity the north cannot undo them with a sleety whistle through them nor frozen thawings glue them from budding at the prime in a drear nighted december too happy happy brook thy bubblings ne'er remember apollo's summer look but with a sweet forgetting they stay their crystal fretting never never petting about the frozen time ah would twere so with many a gentle girl and boy but were there ever any writhed not at passd joy to know the change and feel it when there is none to heal it nor numbed sense to steal it was never said in rhyme CHAPMAN'S HOMER Much have I traveled in the realms of gold, and many goodly states and kingdoms seen.

Round many western islands have I been, which bards and fealty to Apollo hold.

Oft of one wide expanse had I been told, that deep-browed Homer ruled as his demean.

Yet did I never breathe its pure serene, till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold.

then felt i like some watcher of the skies when a new planet swims into his kin, or like stout Cortes when with eagle eyes he stared at the Pacific and all his men looked at each other with a wild surmise, silent upon a peak in Darien.

End of On First Looking Into Chapman's Homer by John Keats Recording by Leonard Wilson of Springfield, Ohio.

Section 15 of John Keats' Selected Poems.

And if we do that, though, you kind of have to then talk about his great poem, To Autumn.

But we can definitely talk about his great sonnet on first looking into Chapman's Homer.

Yeah, why don't we start with the

sonnet? Yeah, because it's a little shorter.

Thank you.

Sure.

On first looking into Chapman's Homer by John Keats.

Much have I traveled in the realms of gold and many goodly states and kingdoms seen.