On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer (John Keats)
On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer (John Keats)
On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer is a sonnet written by John Keats. Sonnet is a short poem of fourteen iambic pentameter lines expressing single thought or idea. There are two well-known types of sonnets-Petrarchan or Italian and Shakespearean or English. In Petrarchan type of sonnet, fourteen lines are divided into two parts. The first part which consists of eight lines is called octave and the second part which contains six lines is known as sestet. In Shakespearean type of sonnet fourteen lines are divided into three quatrains followed by a couplet. The poem under discussion is a Petrarchan type of sonnet. Here, the poet expresses his reaction on first looking into Chapman’s translation of the works of Homer.
As the poet points out, he has travelled extensively in his life and in course of his travel he has come across many states and kingdoms. He has the experience of going to many western islands where poets are very much devoted to Apollo, the sun God of Greek and Roman mythology. Often he was told of an extensive place where Homer ruled with wisdom and dexterity. Chapman, of course, translated the works of Homer in English but according to the poet his rendering lacks the serenity and poise of the original work. The poet compares himself with a watcher of the sky when a new planet appears in the firmament. Chapman’s translation of the works of Homer has been likened to the appearance of a new planet in the sky. Keats here refers to Cortez who was not the Spanish explorer and conqueror. On the other hand, he was one of the poet’s companions, Balboa by name, who first saw the Pacific ocean from a peak in Darien, the Isthmus of Panama. Cortez was a mighty man and his body was bubbling with vitality. The poet compares the long-sightedness of his eyes with that of an eagle. It is with those observant eyes that he was staring at the Pacific ocean from a peak in Darien. Cortez had many companions with him who were looking at one another in wild amazement.
This poem lacks the sensuous descriptions which we find in the mature poems of John Keats. However, it shows his promise and potentiality.
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