Poems By John Keats

Tim Pettus Reads at Sunken Garden Poetry Festival on June 22

Although Tim Pettus would rather not make too much of himself, I like to think of him as a sort of poetry rock star. A resident of Ledyard and a recent graduate from the University of Hartford with a degree in English, he has been touring the state to read at several colleges and universities, along with four other winners who were selected as 2011 Connecticut Student Poets. He has won the Phyllis B. Abrahms Award in various genres, including poetry, fiction and personal essay. In an exchange through Facebook, Pettus opened up about his inspirations, writing process and much more. Pettus dreamed of being a writer ever since he was a boy. “One of my earliest memories is from kindergarten, stapling a group of papers down the middle, folding them in half, and writing about a dinosaur egg,” he said. He made his way into the literary world toward the latter part of his high school years. Although he considers himself principally a fiction writer, he began dabbling more into poetry in the onset of his junior year of college. With a greater background in prose, his poetry leans toward the lengthier side, “based in narrative rather than singular moments and experiences.” He draws inspiration from Kurt Vonnegut, Cormac McCarthy and other writers who “cut right to the point of what their [they're] trying to say.” After listing a number of poets he admires (such as Dylan Thomas, John Keats, Dana Gioia ...), Pettus highlighted the remarkable influence one of his professors, Ben Grossberg, has had on his growth as a writer. “I simply wouldn't be the poet I am without his help,” Pettus said. He likes to write in quiet places, usually cozying up in big libraries or lounging by bodies of water. Ideas will float in his head a week or two before they make it to paper. Pettus does what a good writer does best - experiment. He compares the writing process to cage fighting, letting two ideas battle it out until they reconcile their differences. Poetry writing can take hours up to a week. The process of editing is either short or long, depending on the material. Poems generally receive more attention. "I'm a bit of a coward when it comes to revisiting work," Pettus admits. Especially when he knows a lot of needs to be modified, he might let his work sit for awhile. If you have been turned away by poetry in the past, Pettus totally understands. “Poems can be a lot like indie music, (or any genre of your choice). A lot of it is bad, confusing, and largely drivel, and that gives many good poets a bad name,” he said. His advice? Read a lot, launching first into the classics and then moving to more plucky modern poets. Slam poetry can be another attractive option for poetry noobs.

Book Review: Poems of John Keats (Popular Penguins) | Reading ...

My preferences for poetry are a little like my preferences for artwork – I know what I like with very little understanding of what makes it enjoyable. With both, it’s all about what appeals to the senses and my own personal tastes.

Along with Wordsworth, Coleridge and Donne, Keats is one of my favourite poets. I studied some of his poems at school, but I don’t remember it ever being mentioned that he was so young when he died – only 25 years old. It is incredible that he wrote odes and sonnets of such beauty at such a young age.

This Popular Penguins collection of Keats poems includes favourites such as Ode to a Grecian Urn . There is a brief, interesting introduction, a selection of Keats’ work including a small collection of light-hearted and nonsense poems and excerpts from letters written by Keats to family and friends.