Wish Upon A Star

Compared to many of the other poems in this unit, "Bright Star," by John Keats was easier for me to interpret. Personally, I find the poem romantic. We have all heard of the cliche first date where the boy and girl lay under the stars, discussing higher powers and infinite universes; John Keats uses this imagery to compare his feelings toward a woman he intends to stay with forever. The way he describes the two ultimatums--spending the rest of his life with this lover, or "else swoon to death"--reflects a positive connotation, even when speaking about the death of him; the speaker finds death easier than a life without his lover.

The form, or pattern, of this poem is significant in the way that it is structure. In the first line, the speaker describes a positive star quality. However, the next seven lines state qualities of the star that the speaker does not like, and does not want to resemble. Finally, at the end of the poem, the speaker reflects back on the qualities he likes. In the end, the reader can infer that he would rather "have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." Cliche, but cute. I wonder if this poem was written about someone special to Keats. Hm...