Keats House

If you can appreciate the contribution from the great mind of John Keats, then you will be thrilled to actually have an opportunity to experience a visit to Keat's House. You may notice it as being very much like entering a time machine where you can be certain the environment closely resembles itself as it was in the time of Keat's himself. In a way, you can get a feeling being there that comes somewhat from an intuitive place of what it may have felt like dwelling in these quarters in the context of the young poet's existence there; specifically in terms of his reading and creating, and pondering in the library, relaxing in the beautiful back yard, perambulating in the basement kitchen area, dreaming about Fanny, talking to and or writing off letters to all of his associations etc. The house and grounds are beautifully well preserved and much more than that, just outside the front door STILL stands the tree which birthed the poem Ode to a Nightingale! Inside the house you will find locks of hair from Keats and Fanny (the love of his life)! What touched me deeply--personally--was his actual hand writing of Bright Star, to which he flawlessly penned onto his personal copy of a Shakespeare play as he rode upon ship toward Italy; poignant indeed. There are also actual original handwritten correspondences from Shelley, and orignal handwritings from Thomas Hardy (post Keats). This is only a beginning though as many significant vestiges from the life of this immortal remain exstant here at Keat's House.

Paul Thomson, Canada