Friday, September 18, 2009

Week's End - To Autumn




Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?/ Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,
--John Keats, complete poem...

Oh no, another Keats post? You bet. Thank you, Jane Campion, for your new film Bright Star. I heard high school students talking this afternoon & the word 'Keats' floated through the air between them. This wasn't in a school building.

Keats arrived in Rome (via Naples) 21 October 1820; the ship was quarantined & he did not arrive in Rome until 15 November. Though he did not write poetry in what were to be his last months, he wrote one letter, to his friend Charles Brown. It's heartbreaking, especially the last two lines. "...I can scarcely bid you good bye even in a letter. I always made an awkward bow."

The photographs are from the Keats-Shelley House near the Spanish Steps; the salon & Keats' bedroom. In these very rooms & at the Protestant Cemetery, I have disgraced myself several times with squeaky sniffs. Once, I embarrassed a younger sister & have not yet been forgiven. Ever after, I have visited alone.

A lovely weekend to all. (Sniff.)

Lungo Tevere by Giampaolo Macorig via flickr; Keats-Shelley House photographs by frattaglia via flickr; Protestant Cemetery, Keats' grave by Piero Montesacro via wikimedia commons.

4 comments:

lettuce said...

a lovely weekend to you too

I'd love to visit rome some time. Your top photo is lovely.

and I'll look out for the film. Theres a lot on over here at the moment (TV etc) about the romantics - seems to be a bit of a trend.

Julie@beingRUBY said...

Well another movie I will have to 'wait' for..

I must admit I enjoy these movies as much for the visual delights. So much easier to escape the daily life with period films.

That 1st image is wonderful.. and so Rome! I have something similar in my travel pic stash... you know the stash I can't find! Besides the architecture... the dead giveaway that it is Italy, is those unusual trees... with flat tops... I've only ever seen them in Italy...now I really need to find my pics

Have a great weekend and sniffle all you want! x Julie

nonizamboni said...

Thank you for visiting me--I'm so glad you found me. You have a beautiful blog!
I've seen Jane Campion interviewed [amazing] on Charlie Rose and now I really can't wait to see Bright Star aftering visiting your blog.

Susan said...

Lettuce--Oh I'm so glad that there's an upsurge interest in the Romantics. It's scarcely believable that Keats wrote all he did by 25. It's stunning. I nearly jumped into that conversation the kids were having ...from excitement. I left them to it, though. I think I might have been beaming at them, tho'. (RE: the Made4Aid scarf bid...Oh I can't believe I didn't tend to it. I just was able to buy some clothes--first time in years, really, & it would've been great. I can't do cable...well, at present anyway).

Julie--Yes, visually these films are a delight if well-done. And I do so love Jane Campion's films. I think we're all in for a treat. One reviewer wrote that one will want to sit through the entire end credits, not to see who catered & so on. But because the actor playing Keats recites poetry until the end of them. And that it is gorgeous. I've not seen it yet...I think it will be here this week (in DC). I can't get over to your gorgeous photos today. I hope tomorrow. Running so far behind in everything. Yes, I know all about not having photos at hand. That one on top is by a lovely Italian guy living in Rome now. He has gorgeous photos of Sicily as well.

PS: Those plane trees you're speaking of, yes? Yes, a dead givewaway for Italy. Rome is my forever&always place. No matter what.

Noni! Thank you so much for stopping by...I will be back to peacock blue very soon. It's lovely. I'm getting DSL/wireless/laptop all set up. On a dodgy old PC & it's really hard to move about on it. Happy Peace Day if you see this (or I did leave a comment on your Peace Post.)

Have a good week all.......