From Titans to Olympians: Keats’s Poetic Vision of Art and Politics in the ‘Hyperion’ Poems

This paper explores the intricate melding of aesthetic and political themes in John Keats’s epic works, Hyperion: A Fragment and The Fall of Hyperion: A Dream. Keats’s ambitious epic project is examined as a reflective mirror of the tumultuous historical and ideological currents of early 19th-century Europe, capturing the poet's engagement with the transformative potential of art and the poet's role in societal change. Through a detailed analysis of the symbolic transition from the reign of the Titans to the ascendance of Apollo, this study illuminates how Keats positions poetry as a vital force capable of healing and renewing the political and social landscape. The paper argues that the political undertones of Keats’s work—rooted in the mythological narrative of downfall and regeneration—serve not only as a commentary on the historical moment of Keats’s own lifetime but also as a broader reflection on the enduring power of art to challenge, critique, and reshape the political domain. By situating Keats’s poetic ambitions within the context of his contemporaries’ responses to political upheaval, the paper demonstrates how Keats crafts a unique vision of the poet’s authority, where the aesthetic and the political converge to envision a future marked by artistic enlightenment and progressive transformation. Despite the unfinished nature of these poems, their rich engagement with themes of power, change, and artistic creation marks them as definitive works that reveal the depth of Keats’s epic and political aspirations. This analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of Keats’s legacy as a poet deeply invested in the intersections of beauty, truth, and political expression.