John Keats

John Keats

From In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

March 19, 2026 · 48 min

About this episode

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the life and works of John Keats, focusing on his poetry and the impact of criticism on his legacy.

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the short life and lasting works of Keats (1795-1821), who in one year wrote some of the most loved poems in English. Among these are Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn and Ode on Melancholy. That most productive year began in autumn 1818, when Keats had been stung by some reviews labelling him an uncouth Cockney who should go back to his former work as an apothecary, work he had left for poetry only two years before with the encouragement of enthusiastic friends. Just over two years later, Keats was dead in Rome from tuberculosis, before his work found fame, though some who knew him, including Shelley, believed his true killer was the critics. With Fiona Stafford Professor of English Language and Literature and Tutorial Fellow at Somerville College, University of Oxford Nicholas Roe Wardlaw Professor of English Literature at the University of St Andrews And Meiko O’Halloran, Senior Lecturer in Romantic Literature at Newcastle University Producer: Simon Tillotson Reading list: John Barnard, John Keats (Cambridge University Press, 1987) Katie Garner and Nicholas Roe (eds), John Keats and Romantic Scotland (Oxford University Press, 2022) Ian…

People in this episode

Host: Misha Glenny

Guests: Fiona Stafford, Nicholas Roe, Meiko O’Halloran

Topics covered

  • John Keats
  • Romantic poetry
  • Literary criticism
  • 19th century literature
  • Poetic works
  • Life of poets

Keywords

  • John Keats
  • poetry
  • Ode to a Nightingale
  • Ode on a Grecian Urn
  • literary criticism
  • Romanticism
  • 19th century

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Somerville College, University of Oxford, University of St Andrews, Newcastle University

Books & works: Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode on Melancholy

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