John Keats in his poem ‘Bright Star’ describes the bright star as dazzling, incredibly striking and magnificent. Had he been as rigid as this brilliant star to hang on its own in the darkness of the night with its heavenly look then he would gaze with ‘eternal lids apart like a patient sleepless eremite’.
In the first stanza the speaker begins by referring to the “Bright star” as if it were a person. He points out that he wishes he were as ‘stedfast as thou art’ referring to the star. Notice the old fashioned English the speaker uses.
From the stars description we can gather that it is the North Star that was often used by navigators and the speaker is probably at sea. The North Star is probably the only star that remains stationary in the sky. Why does he wish to be as stationary as the star? Could it be that he wants to settle down like the star?
In the second line ‘Not in lone splendor hung aloft the night’ now the speakers confuses us a bit because initially he wanted to be like the star now he is scared of being all alone in the dark of the night like the star.
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From line three ‘And watching, with eternal lids apart’, Keats continues to describe the star as watching over the earth with eyes wide open forever ‘eternal lids apart’. Whatever the star is watching over we have no idea.
Line four ‘Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite’ actually the word eremite is the old fashioned way of referring to a hermit. A hermit is one who lives in solitude. By referring to the star as an eremite the poet is drawing attention to the lonesomeness of the star. Night actually rhymes with the word eremite which explains the poet’s choice of the word.
The star is patient and always awake but watching over what exactly Keats imagines how the great waters of the earth would appear from the bright star’s heavenly height. He likens that appearance of the earth’s waters round the shores that man can reach to the pure waters that the priest for ‘ablution’ which is a ritual washing by priests.
Not only would these great heights be a great watch for the earth’s waters but also for gazing at the mountains’ and moors’ snow. Moors here refers to the open land usually with peaty soil covered with heather, bracken and moss mostly found in high altitudes and latitudes.
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According to Keats he could be super ‘steadfast’ and ‘unchangeable’ than the bright star. But in truth his destiny has already been determined. The last and absolute desire he has is to lie ‘on the bosom of his fair love’s ripening breast’ so that he would savor and treasure that particular moment with the love of his life.
For that special moment he would not sleep forever so as to feel the ‘soft fall and swell of her tender body’ because each moment would count. This would be a moment to live forever and enjoy the feel of ‘her tender taken breath’ warm, gentle and full of love. Should death strike him prior to his time then it should do so when he is at the arms of his sweetheart as he mentions ‘and so live-or else swoon to death’.