“For Keats, it is only our acceptance of the suffering that is an inevitable part of life, and death, that can really open our eyes to the beauty that surrounds us, thereby enabling us to grow”
Despite his death at the age of 25, John Keats is one of the greatest English poets and a key figure in the Romantic movement. He has become the epitome of the young, beautiful, doomed poet. But his influence is also felt in the volumes of letters he left behind. Writer and researcher Suzie Grogan says that the letters written by Keats offer inspiration and solace in difficult times, and that much of his work can be seen as ahead of its time in its relation to current psychotherapy practice.
In his letters you can find expressions of what it means to be ‘mindful’, being accepted for who you really are, learning to cope with anxiety and depression, and finding inner strength. You find empathy and a willingness to walk in another person’s shoes before judging. Grogin contends that “To really understand how wonderful his poetry is, read his letters and get to know the man. His philosophy is at once melancholy and heartening. ”
Caleb Williamson and his John Keats project
Actor Caleb Williamson on set for “Keats” during the Nanaimo Fringe Festival in August 2016
Caleb Williamson, a Vancouver Island actor, has spent a decade with Keats’ writings and history (and with help from director Ann Gates) in the preparation and performance of a biopic play about the poet. It was Keats’ life–more than his poetry–that drew Williamson to the tragic story of the struggling poet. “He always sat with me in the back of my head,” he told the Parksville Qualicum Beach News.
Caleb and Ann were interviewed once before for a People First Radio segment in August 2016, during the play’s run at Nanaimo Fringe. You can listen to that interview here.
For Keats, it is only our acceptance of the suffering that is an inevitable part of life, and death, that can really open our eyes to the beauty that surrounds us, thereby enabling us to grow. — Suzie Grogan, ‘Moods of my own mind’: Keats, melancholy and mental health
You can find video from Caleb and Ann online at keatsplay.com.
We speak with Caleb Williamson and Ann Gates.
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#podcast | 10-year-long project #peoplefirstradio #johnkeats #poetry #fringe @KeatsAloud #VancouverIsland #Canada | https://t.co/Je0Twg1hPU pic.twitter.com/IaUCF60kfa
— People First Radio (@peoplefirstrad) June 14, 2017
Caleb Williamson, Ann Gates, and consulting director Gordon May on their odyssey through the life of John Keats
