7113909 Keats and Imagination

8/13/2019 7113909 Keats and Imagination

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a)a/ens As this o((urs, the -oe" (elebrates the )ays that the -o)er o! i"agination (an

(on8uer both lo$e and death adeline !ollo)s Keats $isions o! i"agination by !irst

!alling into an en(hant"ent, then )a/ing to a di!!erent reality, and then a((e-ting her

original en(hant"ent as her ne) reality

he signi!i(an(e that adelines $ision )ields o$er her is elaborated on in these

lines des(ribing her drea" state66 +t)as a "idnight (har"9 I"-ossible to "elt as i(ed

strea": It see"d he ne$er, ne$er (ould redee"9 Fro" su(h a stead!ast s-ell his ladys

eyes ;2%26&


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li/e, but so"eho), in her drea"s she (on?ured a ne), i"-ro$ed $ersion he real

3or-hyro (ould ne$er ser$e to (o"-are to the one o! adelines $ision She ex(lai"s,

+Gi$e "e that $oi(e again, "y 3or-hyro,9 hose loo/s i""ortal, those (o"-lainings

dear>9 @h lea$e "e not in this eternal )oe ;=12614


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"y adeline> As adeline res-onds, +#o drea", alas> alas> and )oe is "ine9

3or-hyro )ill lea$e "e here to !ade and -ine, she establishes that not only (an she not

distinguish bet)een the +real and +i"aginary as-e(ts o! their relationshi-.she has no

desire to, and in !a(t does not belie$e that 3or-hyro e$en exists outside o! her o)n

i"agination he 3or-hyro that does exist, as established in stan'a =5, (an ne$er

(o"-are to her drea" lo$er, and she )ould rather ha$e her !antasies, )hi(h ha$e le!t her

)ith the real 3or-hyro She is only le!t to +!ade and -ine a!ter the i"aginary, su-erior

3or-hyro In her $ision, adeline a((e-ted hi" )ithout 8uestion, but u-on regaining

(ons(iousness, she 8uestions the $alidity o! her i"aginations o)n reasoning adeline

assu"es that the drea" )as ?ust that, a drea" he !a(t that the e$ents o! her drea" (ould

so"eho) trans-ose the"sel$es on to her real li!e is a hard (on(e-t !or her to gras- She

assu"es that )hen the drea" disa--ears, 3or-hyro )ill, too Bather than being u-set that

3or-hyro "ight ha$e ta/en ad$antage o! her in her drea"s, she )ishes that she )ere still

in her drea"s to be "ani-ulated Bather than !a(ing the reality that he is a(tually there

)ith her, she allo)s her delusions to guide her assu"-tions, instead o! the !a(ts o! the

situation In i"agination, reality (an be "ore ?arring than reality a(tually is as

i"agination ends

7y (alling her his +bride, 3or-hyro i"-lies that he regards hi"sel! as the

!ul!ill"ent o! her desires and drea"s, and that he intends to "arry her as the (ul"ination

o! her drea" he lo$ers, adeline and 3or-hyro, es(a-e +hey glide, li/e -hanto"s

as they "a/e their )ay -ast the +slee-ing dragons all around ;=5=


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o)e$er, des-ite the threat o! +dragons and +s-ears, no hu"an sound is heard as the

duo "a/e a relati$ely -ea(e!ul es(a-e !ro" adelines "ansion, )hi(h -re(ludes the

idea that a threat e$er really existed at all In !a(t, the re$elers are no) ex-erien(ing

!antasies.night"ares.o! their o)n @n(e es(a-e is real, the entire ad$enture o! the

-oe" (an be seen as a !ig"ent o! the i"agination 3erha-s the obsta(les -re$enting their

lo$e )ere i"aginary, and -erha-s this ex-lains )hy adeline is so a!raid that 3or-hyro

is not real on(e she )a/es u- !ro" her drea" o)e$er, i! the threat o! re$enge does

exist, it is only the -o)er o! their i"aginations.ho) they i"agine their lo$e to be.that

allo)s the" to es(a-e so -ea(e!ully Sin(e their lo$e is begun in an i"aginati$e )orld,

they are !ree to (hoose their destiny and ex-erien(e )hat li!e has to o!!er in a )ay that the

real )orld ne$er )ill allo)

Keats state"ent o! 1%1&, +he I"agination "ay be (o"-ared to Ada"s drea".he

a)o/e and !ound it truth666 is dra"ati'ed in his -oe" +he E$e o! St Agnes, in )hi(h

adeline )a/es !ro" a drea" only to !ind that )hat she desired to ha$e in her drea" has

be(o"e her ne) reality he -o)er o! the i"agination, as seen by Keats, is "u(h in

e$iden(e in the text, as 3or-hyro and adeline (on8uer the real6li!e obsta(les to their

lo$e. reality itsel!66 and es(a-e, +entoild in )oo!ed -hantasies ;2%%

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7113909 Keats and Imagination