Poet · 1795 – 1821

John Keats

Little-Known Facts

  • He trained as an apothecary-surgeon before devoting himself to poetry.
  • He wrote his own bitter epitaph: 'Here lies one whose name was writ in water'.

Myths & Misconceptions

Was Keats famous when he died?

No — he was harshly reviewed and little known in his lifetime; his towering reputation grew only after his early death.