"On First Looking into Chapman's Homer"

Poetry | John Keats
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What does Keats feel after reading Chapman’s Homer?

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What does Keats feel after reading Chapman’s Homer?

In John Keats’s (1795-1821) sonnet “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” (1816), the poet talks about his feelings after reading Chapman’s translation of Homer. After reading it, Keats feels a strange sense of wonder and excitement. Just like someone discovering something magical and new. He feels as if he has discovered a hidden treasure or is seeing a breathtaking scene for the first time.

Before reading Chapman’s translation, Keats knew about Homer’s stories (like the Iliad and Odyssey) but did not fully feel their power. Chapman’s lively, bold translation makes Homer’s ancient Greek world come alive for him. He feels like switching from a blurry picture to a clear, colorful one. 

Discovering a New Planet: Keats compares his joy to that of an astronomer discoveri

ng a new planet. Just as a scientist is amazed when he sees a new star or planet, Keats is astonished by the beauty of Homer’s work through Chapman’s words. Keats describes this feeling in this way; 

“Then felt I like some watcher of the skies

When a new planet swims into his ken.”

Discovering Ocean: Keats also imagines himself as an explorer, like Cortez (a Spanish explorer)—standing on a mountain peak and seeing the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Everyone around Cortez stares in silence. They are amazed by the vast, unknown beauty before them. Keats feels exactly the same. He is left speechless. He feels as if he has discovered a whole new world inside a book.

Thrill of Adventure: For Keats, reading Chapman’s Homer is not just reading rather it is like traveling to far-off lands. It is like meeting heroes and feeling the excitement of adventure. It is a moment of pure wonder, where words on a page turn into something alive and endless. 

In short, Keats feels amazed, excited, and inspired after reading Chapman’s Homer. The poem captures that charmed feeling when something we read or see suddenly and fall in love.

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from "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer"