Keats and Teignmouth - Literary Tourism

Keats and Teignmouth - Literary Tourism in Devon. 

If you are planning to visit the seaside town of Teignmouth in Devon be sure to take some poems by John Keats with you. Keats stayed here in 1818, just over 200 years ago, and leaves us some journaling in his correspondence to set the scene:

1818 letter from John Keats:

March 13th 1818, to Benjamin Bailey –

you may say what you will of Devonshire: 

the truth is, it is a splashy, rainy, 

misty snowy, foggy, haily floody, 

muddy, slipshod county

the hills are very beautiful,

when you get a sight of ‘em

the Primroses are out, but then you are in

the Cliffs are of a fine deep Colour, 

but then the Clouds are continually

vieing with them

Two houses down towards Rat Island claim to be the place that Keats rented when he lived here. Of course, he could easily have rented them both for himself and family. Number 36 and the house called 'Old Place', on Northumberland Place, Rat Island, Teignmouth, South Devon UK. It is here that Keats wrote part of Endymion, reproduced below.. 

Endymion

    A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;

    Its loveliness increases; it will never

    Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

    A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

    Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

All photos 12 Aug 2013 C. Mansfield 

Keats' poem called 'Teignmouth' is much more complimentary about the town. Taken together with the journaling in his letter it shows how field notes can be very different from the published place-making text on a destination 

Teignmouth

I. 

Here all the summer could I stay, 

For there's Bishop's teign 

And King's teign 

And Coomb at the clear Teign head-- 

Where close by the stream 

You may have your cream 

All spread upon barley bread. 

II. 

There's Arch Brook 

And there's Larch Brook 

Both turning many a mill, 

And cooling the drouth 

Of the salmon's mouth 

And fattening his silver gill. 

III. 

There is Wild wood, 

A Mild hood 

To the sheep on the lea o' the down, 

Where the golden furze, 

With its green, thin spurs, 

Doth catch at the maiden's gown. 

IV. 

There is Newton Marsh 

With its spear grass harsh-- 

A pleasant summer level 

Where the maidens sweet 

Of the Market Street 

Do meet in the dusk to revel. 

V. 

There's the Barton rich 

With dyke and ditch 

And hedge for the thrush to live in, 

And the hollow tree 

For the buzzing bee 

And a bank for the wasp to hive in. 

VI. 

And O, and O 

The daisies blow 

And the primroses are waken'd, 

And violets white 

Sit in silver plight, 

And the green bud's as long as the spike end. 

VII. 

Then who would go 

Into dark Soho, 

And chatter with dack'd-hair'd critics, 

When he can stay 

For the new-mown hay, 

And startle the dappled Prickets?

John Keats

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