PAINTING BY GABRIEL METSU
I love reading letters from back in the day when people really knew how to write a letter. I think some of the best writing of John Keats may have been in his letters to Fanny Brawne. No wonder, he could write such poetry. The man just had a romantic soul. Can you imagine a man writing a letter like this today? I hate to see letter writing being replaced by email. People will never feel as free on the internet as they do hand writing a letter. Beautiful letter writing using lovely stationary is fast becoming a lost art. Besides, you can't put a drop of perfume on an email!
I pick this letter up about half way through but the rest is just as romantic.
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You absorb me in spite of myself - you alone: for I look not forward with any pleasure to what is called being settled in the world; I tremble at domestic cares - yet for you I would meet them, though if it would leave you the happier I would rather die than do so. I have two luxuries to brood over in my walks, your Loveliness and the hour of my death. O that I could have possession of them both in the same minute.
I hate the world: it batters too much the wings of my self-will, and would I could take a sweet poison from your lips to send me out of it. From no others would I take it. I am indeed astonished to find myself so careless of all charms but yours - remembering as I do the time when even a bit of ribband was a matter of interest with me. What softer words can I find for you after this - what it is I will not read. Nor will I say more here, but in a postscript answer anything else you may have mentioned in your letter in so many words - for I am distracted with a thousand thoughts. I will imagine you Venus tonight and pray, pray, pray to your star like a Heathen.
Yours ever, fair Star,
John Keats
Sigh
6 comments:
Yes!!!
-le sigh-
Do you ever write letters? Not gorgeous love letters like this. Just regular letters to friends? Real Life or Net friends...
On pretty paper and with a real fountain pen, in pretty ink color maybe? And pretty old fashioned stickers on the envelope? :-)
I used to. I wish I still did. So I repeat... -le sigh-
Miss Mari-Nanci
'Smilnsigh' blog
I remember as a teen, going through a stage where I would write everything in calligraphy. Oulandish love poems to unknown sweethearts. Thank Goodness, I never sent them to anyone. And I would put rose perfume on them, of course and tie them in stscks in pretty color ribbons.
Oh my! My DH and I wrote letters to one another when we first met. I lived in Houston and he in Dallas. His first letter to me was like a resume. I still chuckle when I think of it, but as we grew to know one another better they became more personal and his were peppered with drawings and much silliness. But still they were sweet and I treasure them. Thanks for sharing Keats--me thinks I will have to give him another chance! ;-)
Thank you for posting that bit of letter by Keats. Whatever did happen to us, that we-- men and women-- cannot be so vulnerable and emotional. I think Keats says it, when he says how the world nips, something like that.
Yes, I still write with note cards, because I love paper and ink so, but growing more sparse all the time.
The saddest part of not writing letters is the loss of beautiful penmanship. When I graduated high school, I wrote all the time (pre-email and pre-cellphone days), and had lovely penmanship. Now, I scribble notes I can barely read myself!
Your post makes me want to go buy a Waterman fountain pen and cobalt blue ink and practice the lost art of letter writing.
Oh, John Keats letter is sooo romantic!
I used to write long letters, but rarely do these days, except to my cousin Agi, who lives in Budapest, Hungary and does not own a computer! Got to write real letters to her, and in Hungarian! Which is not easy these days!
I enjoyed this post, and read all the others on this page. Your Pepper sounds a lot like my Oreo. LOL.
Have a nice evening.
Renie
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