1When I have fears that I may cease to be
2 Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain,
3Before high-pilèd books, in charactery,
4 Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;
5When I behold, upon the night’s starred face,
6 Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
7And think that I may never live to trace
8 Their shadows with the magic hand of chance;
9And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
10 That I shall never look upon thee more,
11Never have relish in the faery power
12 Of unreflecting love—then on the shore
13Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
14Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.
1When I have fears that I may cease to be
2 Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain,
3Before high-pilèd books, in charactery,
4 Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;
5When I behold, upon the night’s starred face,
6 Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
7And think that I may never live to trace
8 Their shadows with the magic hand of chance;
9And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
10 That I shall never look upon thee more,
11Never have relish in the faery power
12 Of unreflecting love—then on the shore
13Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
14Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.
When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain,
Before high-pilèd books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;
When I behold, upon the night’s starred face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love—
then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
Reading of "When I have Fears" — A dramatic reading of "When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be."
Keats's Encyclopedia Entry — An Encyclopedia.com entry on "When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be."
Academic Analysis of "When I have Fears" — A short exploration of "When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be" from CUNY Brooklyn.
Keats's Love Letters — Selected love letters from Keats to Fanny Brawne, who many believe is the "fair creature" in the poem.
Discussion of "When I have Fears" — A video from Providence eLearning discussing the background and giving an analysis of Keats's poem.