Bright Star

On Monday evening I dragged Ariel and Calvin to the movies (courtesy of free tickets). Normally, dragged and movies aren’t used in the same sentence. However, this was a period literary movie called Bright Star.

Bright Star is about John Keats. (If the name Keats isn’t familiar, how about the quote “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” That’s the first line from Keats’s epic poem Endymion.) The movie chronicles the last few years of Keats’s life when he falls in love with Fanny Brawne, who becomes a kind of muse to Keats. Anyway, aside from the fact the movie was about mood more than plot—a type of cinematic embodiment of a Romantic poem, I loved the tragic relationship and enjoyed the movie. However, there was a character named Mr. Brown, who was the most amazing Scottish oaf. If he hadn’t been supporting Keats, I’m sure Fanny would have shot, impaled or poisoned him. I know I would have. Okay, I wouldn’t have really done it, just dreamed about it, or written a poem about it. I’d have entitled my poem “The Late Mr. Brown” a la Robert Browning, who is the most wonderful/hilarious poet I’ve ever read. To those of you who liken reading poetry to dental work without anesthesia, check out “Porphyria’s Lover” or “My Last Duchess.” I guarantee you’ll never look at poetry the same way again.