The English Staff Room Podcast

In today’s episode we discuss the nature of gender and artistry within the worlds of Keats and Campion.  We consider the value and power of woman’s artistry as redefined by Campion in her film Bright Star as a consequence of reframing Keats’ poetry through the female gaze of Fanny. We consider Campion’s challenge of Keats’ representation of woman as muse, as silent objects of beauty, and as femme fatale across his poems La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode to a Nightingale, and The Eve of St Agnes as Fanny in the film breaks boundaries placed upon her. For Ms. Glover and I (Ms. Simmonds) we found it impossible to view Keats’ poetry without the feminist lens (as presented by Campion) permeating our own readings.

Happy International Women’s Day 🙂