Classical Tradition Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classical Tradition - Term Paper ExampleThus, knowledge for Keats is not only that which one acquires by dint of empirical last but also what is received from earlier generations.The descent of the narrator into the netherworld speaks also of the poets desire to draw from poetic tradition. Keats uses descriptions of wickedness from earlier whole works of literature. Prominent among these would of course, be Dante Alighieris work, Divine Comedy, where the protagonist descends into hell in order to gain a better understanding of the cosmos. He is led in that location by his beloved, Beatrice. In the case of The Fall of Hyperion, a character like Moneta may be considered to be a substitute for Beatrice. The interest of the poet here, unlike in the case of Dantes work, is not sexual love but the love for knowledge. The thirst to create something new draws Keats into the netherworld and he is rewarded not with spiritual mirth or salvation but with knowledge.Another myth that one may read in Keatss work is that of the Orpheus legend. The legend revolved around Orpheus sledding to the netherworld to bring his wife, Eurydice back to life. The god of the dead lays down one condition for the success of Orpheuss mission- he would lead his wife out of hell but would not be allowed to turn back to see whether she was following him. Orpheus, a musician and hence an artist, is unable to contain his curiosity and fails to meet the condition. In a way, one may argue that Orpheuss inability to do so stemmed from his need to know. The narrator of Keatss poem too faces a similar problem. The difference, however, is that his/her curiosity is a disinterested one, unlike that of Orpheuss. He is interested in knowledge and its acquisition for its sake rather than for marital love. Keatss search, through the narrator, remains of permanence rather than something that would remain, in the final analysis, ephemeral.It is