A FRIEND OF KEATS

In the chapter from “Letters on Literature,” the focus is on a somewhat lesser-known figure in literature, Mr. Reynolds, who was a contemporary of John Keats, the famous Romantic poet. The author laments Reynolds’s obscurity, particularly his poetry, and embarks on a quest to bring some of his works to light.

Reynolds’s initial publication drew a “careless good word” from Lord Byron but is noted most prominently for “The Fancy,” a collection that includes a fictional memoir of Peter Corcoran, a character with a deep interest in prize-fighting. This unusual passion among poets for boxing reflects a broader Romantic era theme of valorizing physicality alongside intellectual pursuits.

The narrative delves into how Reynolds, like his creation Peter Corcoran, and other literary figures of the time including Byron, Shelley, and Keats himself, saw merit in the physical aspects of life—boxing, in particular—as well as the artistic. Peter Corcoran, in the text, emerges as a mirror reflecting both Keats’s physicality and his poetic sensibilities. Reynolds uses Corcoran’s life, filled with poetry, love, and the “science” of boxing, to explore themes of passion, mortality, and the fleeting nature of fame and physical prowess.

Furthermore, the text outlines Corcoran’s unfortunate love story, highlighting how his physical scars and poetic descriptions of boxing fail to win over his love interest, leading to his untimely demise—a narrative reinforcing the transient joy of physical and artistic triumphs.

The chapter also reflects on Reynolds’s other literary endeavors, including his marriage which seemingly ushered in a shift away from poetry towards domestic life. The narrator shares poignant reflections on Reynolds’s and Keats’s friendship, marked by mutual admiration and support amidst the harsh critiques from contemporary literary magazines. Their correspondence is celebrated, especially Keats’s “Ode to Autumn,” a masterpiece sent to Reynolds towards the end of Keats’s life.

Towards the conclusion, Reynolds’s “The Garden of Florence” receives mention as a notable work, appreciated for its poetic beauty and emotional depth. It serves as a tribute to Keats and to the indelible mark of friendship, loss, and artistic kinship that framed their relationship. The chapter closes with an acknowledgment of the profound impact of sensitive, intense natures on art and the world, encapsulating the lives and losses of these Romantic poets within the broader discourse on the value of literature and personal relationships.