On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer By John Keats Poetry Presentation By Colin Baldwin

On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold, And many godly 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 brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne: Yet did I never breath 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 Look’d at each other with a wild surmise- Silent upon a peak in Darien. Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold, And many godly 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 brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne: Yet did I never breath 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 Look’d at each other with a wild surmise- Silent upon a peak in Darien.

Title The title makes me think of someone looking into something for the first time, but from just looking at the title I don’t have a very good idea of what the poem might be about because I don’t know what “Chapman’s Homer” is or means. So I looked them up and found out that a translator named Chapman had translated some poems of the great Greek poet Homer. Knowing that I was able to make a more educated guess at what the poem might be about. I believe it might be about someone’s first experience reading “Chapman’s Homer”.

Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold, And many godly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have I been Key Words: 1.much, travell’d, realms gold 2.many, goodly, kingdoms, seen 3.many, western islands, I been Paraphrase: I have been to many great places, realms of gold, kingdoms, and western islands. Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold, And many godly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have I been Key Words: 1.much, travell’d, realms gold 2.many, goodly, kingdoms, seen 3.many, western islands, I been Paraphrase: I have been to many great places, realms of gold, kingdoms, and western islands.

Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. Oft of one wide expanse had I been told That deep brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne: Yet did I never breath its pure serene Key Words 4, fealty, Apollo hold 5.Oft, wide expanse, I been told 6.Homer, ruled, demesne 7.yet, I never breath, pure serene.bards Paraprase: Apollo has many faithful poets, many people have told me that Homer was the best, but I had never really experienced him. Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. Oft of one wide expanse had I been told That deep brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne: Yet did I never breath its pure serene Key Words 4, fealty, Apollo hold 5.Oft, wide expanse, I been told 6.Homer, ruled, demesne 7.yet, I never breath, pure serene.bards Paraprase: Apollo has many faithful poets, many people have told me that Homer was the best, but I had never really experienced him.

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; Key Words 8.Till, Chapman, speak 9.felt I, watcher, skies 10.new, planet, ken Paraphrase: Until I read Chapman ’ s version of Homer. Then I felt like somebody who watches skies and discovers a new planet. 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; Key Words 8.Till, Chapman, speak 9.felt I, watcher, skies 10.new, planet, ken Paraphrase: Until I read Chapman ’ s version of Homer. Then I felt like somebody who watches skies and discovers a new planet.

Or like stout Cortez, when with eagle eyes He stared at the pacific - and all his men Look’d at each other with a wild surmise- Silent upon a peak in Darien. Key Words 11.like Cortez, 12.stared, Pacific, men 13.look ’ d, wild surmise 14.silent, peak, Darien Paraphrase: Or like Cortez when he first discovered the pacific ocean, and all his men looked at each other knowing it was the pacific without and fact to prove it. Like standing silently on a hill Darien. Or like stout Cortez, when with eagle eyes He stared at the pacific - and all his men Look’d at each other with a wild surmise- Silent upon a peak in Darien. Key Words 11.like Cortez, 12.stared, Pacific, men 13.look ’ d, wild surmise 14.silent, peak, Darien Paraphrase: Or like Cortez when he first discovered the pacific ocean, and all his men looked at each other knowing it was the pacific without and fact to prove it. Like standing silently on a hill Darien.

Connotation: I believe John Keats was trying to say that reading can be a great discovery, as great as discovering the Pacific ocean, or a new planet. He uses his discovery of Chapman ’ s Homer as an example of how you can discover such great things from reading. I believe John Keats was trying to say that reading can be a great discovery, as great as discovering the Pacific ocean, or a new planet. He uses his discovery of Chapman ’ s Homer as an example of how you can discover such great things from reading.

Attitude: The tone of the poem is informative, the poet is telling you all about what can Happen when you read a great book or poem. The tone of the poem is informative, the poet is telling you all about what can Happen when you read a great book or poem. Type Of Poem: The poem is a sonnet because it is fourteen lines and the rhym scheme is a-b-b-a-a-b-b- a-c-d-c-d-c-d.

Poetic Devises: Foreshadowing: The title foreshadows a poem about someone’s first time reading “Chapman’s Homer”. Alliterion: In verse 5 at the beginning it goes “Oft of one” this is a subtle Alliteration because the three words all begin with the letter “o”. Rhyme Scheme: The poet uses a rhyme scheme that goes a-b-b-a-a-b-b-a-c-d-c-d-c-d. Type Of Poem: The poem is a sonnet because it’s close to the rhyme scheme of an Italian sonnet however the ending is different and it’s fourteen lines. Foreshadowing: The title foreshadows a poem about someone’s first time reading “Chapman’s Homer”. Alliterion: In verse 5 at the beginning it goes “Oft of one” this is a subtle Alliteration because the three words all begin with the letter “o”. Rhyme Scheme: The poet uses a rhyme scheme that goes a-b-b-a-a-b-b-a-c-d-c-d-c-d. Type Of Poem: The poem is a sonnet because it’s close to the rhyme scheme of an Italian sonnet however the ending is different and it’s fourteen lines.