Bright Star, a movie review

This week I saw the movie Bright Star. It's a romance telling the story of the renowned English poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, a couple who cared deeply for each other but fate ultimately kept apart. The setting was England about 1820. It features period costumes and, of course, poetry. The movie stars Ben Whishaw as John Keats and Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne, with Paul Schneider as Charles Armitage Brown.

Bright Star was released in 2009, and it played several art film theaters around town. I wanted to see it then, as I admire Keats' poetry, but didn't. I borrowed the DVD from the public library, after being on a lengthy waitlist, and I'm glad I did. The love story was touching, emotional, and a bit unconventional. The ending was quite sad, but I knew that going in. I would recommend Bright Star, it's a well-made, interesting to see, movie.

The Eve of St. Agnes, stanza six, words by Keats

"The Eve of St. Agnes" is a long poem (42 stanzas) by John Keats which was first published in 1820. As I've recently posted words for woman and maiden, I thought I'd feature a stanza from this fine poem. This is stanza 6 (or VI in Roman numerals).

They told her how, upon St. Agnes’ Eve,
Young virgins might have visions of delight,
And soft adorings from their loves receive
Upon the honey’d middle of the night,
If ceremonies due they did aright;
As, supperless to bed they must retire,
And couch supine their beauties, lily white;
Nor look behind, nor sideways, but require
Of Heaven with upward eyes for all that they desire.

Keats based his poem on the superstition that a girl could see her future husband in a dream if she performed certain rites on the eve of St. Agnes.