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Birth
Born in London, England, on October 31, 1795 -
Orphan
Keats lost his parents at an early age. He was eight years old when his father, a livery stable-keeper, was killed after being trampled by a horse. -
Enfield Academy
During this period, Keats found solace and comfort in art and literature. At Enfield Academy, where he started shortly before his father's passing, Keats proved to be a voracious reader. He also became close to the school's headmaster, John Clarke, who served as a sort of a father figure to the orphaned student and encouraged Keats' interest in literature. -
Left Academy
In the fall of 1810, he left school to become a surgeon. Then, he studied medicine at London Hospital. -
Licensed apothecary
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Poems, by John Keats
Keats leveraged his new friendships to publish his first volume of poetry, Poems by John Keats. -
Endymion poem
A mammoth four-thousand line poem based on the Greek myth of the same name. -
The Fall of Hyperion
He rewrote his unfinished poem with this new title, which go unpublished until more than three decades afer Keat´s death. -
Tuberculosis
In 1819 Keats contracted tuberculosis. His health deteriorated quickly. Soon after his last volume of poetry was published, he ventured off to Italy with his close friend, the painter Joseph Severn, on the advice of his doctor, who had told him he needed to be in a warmer climate for the winter. -
To Autumn
A sensuous work published in 1820 that describes ripening fruit, sleepy workers, and a maturing sun. The poem, and others, demonstrated a style Keats himself had crafted all his own, one that was filled with more sensualities than any contemporary Romantic poetry. -
Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes and other Poems.
His third and final volume of poetry. -
Death
Keats' death came on February 23, 1821. It's believed he was clutching the hand of his friend, Joseph Severn, at the time of his passing.
