Bright Star

This movie was so moving and enlightening. It was about the poet John Keats. His life as a poet was hard. He did not make allot of money and yet he was in love with Fanny Browne. The year is 1818 in London. Their destiny was to be together yet there was thorns in their side - people and illness. His friend advised him to not court Fanny Brown since she was more concerned for stitches and clothes. John fell ill to consumption. He died thinking all his work was in vain yet he is very popular today.

Here is his poem Bright Star:

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art--
Not in lone splendor hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like natures patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--
No--yet still stedfast, still unchangable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
to feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tneder-taken breath,
And so live ever --or else swoon to death

This poem uses a star as an imagery to get to his point. John uses analagy saying he wants to be like a star who is steadfast but not alone that is unreachable (aloft) . The star is ever watchful (eternal), eternal ( patient) and unchanging (sleepless). The star watches over the snow covered mountains and cleansing waters as the priest task is- another analogy. He does not want to be alone like the star. He wants to rest his head on his beloveds breast and inhale hhe sweetness of her fragrant breath and hear the music of her heart. He wants this to last forever or if it were not possible he would rather die ( swoon to death). There is a spiritual element to this. He wants to be eternal ( awake forever) and yet he does not want to be alone (lone) .but awake forever in the lovers breast. To love means to be human and therefore not an unchangeable thing like a star. His love will not last forever so he would rather die the moment he is experiencing the ecstasy of love. Even though he wants love and immortality it is impossible.