Keats Northern Keats Northern Walking TourWalking Tour

June 25-August 6, 1818June 25-August 6, 1818

Background Background Keats was 22 when he accepted Charles Brown’s Keats was 22 when he accepted Charles Brown’s

invitation to undertake a walking tour of invitation to undertake a walking tour of approximately 2000 miles through northern approximately 2000 miles through northern England and Scotland, with a diversion to England and Scotland, with a diversion to northern Ireland.northern Ireland.

Keats letters and poems of the 1818 walking tour Keats letters and poems of the 1818 walking tour were intended to entertain his brothers and were intended to entertain his brothers and friends. friends.

Part of a tradition of travel writing started by Part of a tradition of travel writing started by Samuel Johnson and Boswell who wrote a guide Samuel Johnson and Boswell who wrote a guide book about their travels to Scotland. book about their travels to Scotland.

Popularity of travel literature at this timePopularity of travel literature at this time

BackgroundBackground

Keats’s journey was defined in part by Keats’s journey was defined in part by what he had read and heard about the what he had read and heard about the places he was visitingplaces he was visiting

The journey falls into essentially two The journey falls into essentially two episodes: the visit to the Lake District and episodes: the visit to the Lake District and the visits to Scotland and briefly Ireland.the visits to Scotland and briefly Ireland.

Relationship between the tour and Keats’s Relationship between the tour and Keats’s conception of himself as a poet. He saw conception of himself as a poet. He saw the tour as essential to his development as the tour as essential to his development as a poet.a poet.

Map of Keats Walking TourMap of Keats Walking Tour

LancasterLancaster

KendalKendal

Map of the Lake DistrictMap of the Lake District

The Lake DistrictThe Lake District

Lake WindermereLake Windermere

Rydal MountRydal Mount

Dove CottageDove Cottage

Helm Craig Helm Craig

Castlerigg: The Druid CircleCastlerigg: The Druid Circle

SkiddawSkiddaw

ScotlandScotland

Dumfries: St. Michael’s Churchyard Dumfries: St. Michael’s Churchyard Burns Mausoleum (Keats wrote Burns Mausoleum (Keats wrote

“This mortal body” here)“This mortal body” here)

Dundrennan AbbeyDundrennan Abbey

Map of Northern IrelandMap of Northern Ireland

DonaghadeeDonaghadee

BelfastBelfast

Back to Scotland: Ailsa CraigBack to Scotland: Ailsa Craig

Alloway Robert Burns CottageAlloway Robert Burns Cottage(Keats wrote “This mortal body of a (Keats wrote “This mortal body of a

thousand days here) thousand days here)

Glascow CathedralGlascow Cathedral

Loch LomandLoch Lomand

MullMull

IonaIona

StaffaStaffa

Fingal’s CaveFingal’s Cave

ObanOban

Ben Nevis (Keats wrote “Read me Ben Nevis (Keats wrote “Read me a lesson muse)a lesson muse)

Loch NessLoch Ness

Inverness Beauly PrioryInverness Beauly Priory

Inverness (Keats took coach from Inverness (Keats took coach from here to return to London)here to return to London)

EpilogueEpilogue

Keats was back in London by August Keats was back in London by August 18.18.

He returned early because he was ill.He returned early because he was ill. He found his brother Tom critically ill He found his brother Tom critically ill

and took care of him until he died in and took care of him until he died in December.December.

Keats began writing “Hyperion.”Keats began writing “Hyperion.”