keats quick critic 1

The title of the poem sets up the reader’s frame of reference for the lines that follow. The “Homer” that Keats is referring to is none other than the classic poet to whom we attribute The Odyssey and The Iliad, and the Chapman that he speaks of is a translator of the previous two works. So, combining these facts, the reader can infer that the overarching premise of the poem is a reflection upon what Keats felt when he first read or discovered the Chapman translations of these works. More interesting, however, is the choice of the word ‘into’. Intuitively speaking, into suggests that there was some form of investigation in the translated work. There may also be a deeper meaning in the word choice; ‘through’ would serve a similar function, so why is ‘into’ chosen instead? On another level, it may be Keats’ intention to convey a metaphorical entrance into the text—as if upon his first reading of the text he entered an entirely new and fascinating world that encompassed his entire being. Indeed, this could be a possibility; Oxford English Dictionary defines into as “expressing motion to a position within a space or thing…so as to enter” . Under this assumption of the word, it is clear that Keats means to express a profound joy about “Chapman’s Homer”.


Additional words exist in the actual poem that further indicate a sense of excitement about the content of the work that Keats examined. The use of ‘gold’ in the first line suggests that Chapman’s work is being compared to other works of profound magnificence. As a poet, Keats would certainly be versed in other works of literary merit, and would be familiar with the great works of Shakespeare or Pope. Thus, it could be easily assumed that when he speaks of having “travell’d in the realms of gold”, he is referencing the body of literature that he has under his command. This makes the use of gold as a comparison agent all the more powerful. Additionally, using ‘wild’ in the fourteenth line serves a similar purpose. In context, Keats alludes to the wonder the first Europeans to survey the Pacific Ocean must have felt. However, wild carries an interesting connotation—it is something raw, unbridled, and apart from the everyday carryings-on of mankind. This translation of Homer, for Keats, represents something new and set apart from what normally transpires within the realm of regular literature. Thus, when set against many items of a golden standard, this work represents something that is different and a level above what is usually seen.