On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer by John Keats
Vocabulary
fealty – oath of loyalty
demesne – territory, domain
ken – view, sight
1. At the start of this poem, how does the speaker establish himself as well cultured?
The speaker tells the reader that he has “much travell’d,” and “many goodly states and kingdoms seen.” He later states he has “Round many western islands been,” where he has heard bards speak in praise of Apollo, and heard of the accomplishments of Homer.
2. The speaker uses two different similes to compare the experience hearing Chapman’s translation of Homer. Which of these similes is an allusion?
The speaker first compares hearing Chapman’s Homer to gazing into the skies and suddenly discovering a new planet. However, the allusion is the second simile, in which the speaker compares the hearing to what it must have been like when Cortez first sighted the Pacific.