Star-Crossed Lovers |

After seeing the movie Bright Star I just had to read poet John Keats' letters to Fanny Brawne. Thankfully I found just the book!

Bright Star is a movie that starts slowly and pulls you in. By the end, you find yourself hoping against all odds that things will work out, despite already knowing how it will end. Director Jane Campion and stars Ben Whishaw (Keats) and Abbie Cornish (Fanny) do a lovely job with this movie wonderfully portraying the true love story.

Keats and Fanny are complete opposites, he a poor poet and she a flirty seamstress, interested in fashion. Despite their differences they fall deeply in love, which is a shock to friends and family, who at first try to dissuade the couple. Just when things are looking up for our lovers, Keats falls ill. Due to his worsening health, he must move to Italy and the lovers are kept apart. This separation causes Keats to write some of the most moving and celebrated poetry and love letters of the English language. However, upon his death at the age of 25, Keats was still separated from his love and considered himself a failure. After his death, Fanny went into mourning and secluded herself from the world. She wore his ring for the rest of her life.

So Bright and Delicate: Love Letters and Poems of John Keats to Fanny Brawne is a collection of Keats' letters and poetry, inspired by his love for Fanny. This edition also includes and introduction by Jane Campion. Andrew Motion's biography of the poet, simply entitled Keats, inspired Jane Campion to create the film. It is the first major biography of Keats in thirty years and examines how his works still resonate today.