John Keats’ ‘Guy’s Hospital’ Poetry
This chapter focuses on the poems Keats wrote while associated with Guy’s Hospital, October 1815 – March 1817. Looking at Keats’ poems in terms of their dates of composition, juxtaposed with events in the hospital calendar and in his biography, reveals patterns of sociality and conviviality that tie in with Keats’ poetic productivity. After successfully passing his Licentiate Examination in July 1816, Keats chose to renew contact with his mentor Charles Cowden Clarke, who introduced him in turn to the Hunt Circle. The only surviving first-hand account of Keats at Guy’s is explored, showing how the mythmaking around Keats’ reputation affected this narrative. The chapter traces Keats’ development into the physician-poet he became, from his initial recourse to poetry as a distraction to his recognition that it might become a career.