The Relationship Between Humanity and Nature in "In Drear-Nighted December" and "On The Sea" Anonymous 12th Grade

Within ‘In the Drear-Nighted December’ and ‘On the Sea’ Keats displays the formidable, eternal power that nature holds over man both physically and emotionally. Whilst being stationed in the unrelieved, mundane city to train as an apothecary as a young man, Keats sought solace within the realm of imagination - only sparked by nature itself. His relationship with elements of nature is represented through both poems, and is one that is complex, in which it can elicit both trepidation and astonishment. Whilst in ‘On the Sea’ Keats explores how the sea evokes mixed feelings of both fear and awe, ‘In Drear-Nighted December’ the season of winter exudes a melancholic, oppressive atmosphere which the speaker cannot escape. Both poems however, still reflect how nature stimulates emotion and inspiration within man, despite the imbalanced power dynamic between man and nature; nature holding the reins of great strength and omnipotence. Within both poems, Keats explores the significant influence of nature on human emotions.

‘In Drear-Nighted December’ focuses on Keats’ melancholy during winter months and his envy that nature need not experience sadness. The pathetic fallacy of the first line of the poem outlines the gloomy tone of the...