&lt;i&gt;Philia&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;neikos&lt;/i&gt; in Keats’s 'Song of four faeries'

A.C Swanepoel

doi:10.4102/lit.v28i1.153

Abstract

Despite the fact that Keats’s “Song of four faeries” received very little critical attention, the poem raises interesting issues regarding the creative and destructive forces in nature. The poem presents a conversation between the four elemental faeries about union and separation. Using Empedocles’ four-element theory of creation and change in nature as framework, this article explores through close reading how the form and content of the poem mirror creative and destructive natural processes. It concludes that both Empedocles’ concepts “philia” (the creative force), and “neikos” (the destructive force), feature in both form and content, but that “philia” is more prevalent in the form, whereas “neikos” is expressed mostly in the content of the poem. Furthermore, the natural changes presented in the poem suggest themselves in the form of the poem before they become evident in its content.

Highlights

Ten spyte van die feit dat Keats se “Song of four faeries” min aandag geniet in die literatuur, bied die gedig interessante perspektiewe op die natuur se skeppende en verwoestende kragte
Verder is die natuurlike veranderings wat in die gedig voorgestel word, sigbaar in die vorm van die gedig, voordat dit in die inhoud blyk
As the poem presents a conversation between the four elemental faeries, I will highlight processes of creation and destruction in the poem by analysing it with reference to Empedocles’ four-element theory

Summary

Introduction

“Song of Four Faeries”, by John Keats, appears in a journal-letter dated 21 April 1819 alongside the more famous “La belle dame sans merci” and “To sleep” (Allott, 1986:500, 506, 510). The form of the poem, like its content, emphasises the tension between creation and destruction, but here philia features more prominently, connecting – by means of rhyme, metre, syntax, typography, et cetera – faeries that would rather be apart. Even though both forces are present in both form and content, the creation process occurs in the form, before it occurs in the content, i.e. it frequently happens that the form of the poem anticipates changes that are only later introduced in the content of the poem. In the first four lines of the poem, the fairies are introduced as four separate entities: SALAMANDER3 Happy, happy glowing fire!

DUSKETHA Let me to my glooms retire!

Sooth I am as sick for you!

Conclusion

List of references