"On the Sonnet" by John Keats: Summary

"On the Sonnet"

Author: John Keats

Written: 1819

Published: 1848

Poem in a nutshell: "If you're going to write a poem, write a sonnet or nothing at all."

Andromeda chained to the rocks as a sacrifice

Original Text:

If by dull rhymes our English must be chained, 

And, like Andromeda, the Sonnet sweet

Fettered, in spite of pained loveliness;

Let us find out if we must be constrained,

Sandals more interwoven and complete

To fit the naked foot of poesy;

Let us inspect the lyre, and weigh the stress

Of every chord, and see what may be gained

By ear industrious, and attention meet; 

Misers of sound and syllable no less

Than Midas of his coinage, let us be

Jealous of dead leaves in the bay-wreath crown;

So if we may no let the Muse be free,

She will be bound with garlands of her own.

Summary:

Essentially, the speaker of the text states that sonnets are the most superior form of poesy in the art. It is through the crafting of a sonnet that a poet shows his or her true skill, and if you can create a powerful, beautiful sonnet, then you get "bay-wreath" or laurel crown -- the prize. Historically, laurel crowns were awarded to poets of immense skill in small competitions.