The  Human  Seasons,  by  John  Keats  

 
Introduction  
 
How  many  seasons  do  we  experience  in  the  UK?  Have  you  ever  lived  in  a  country  
that  does  not  have  seasons  as  we  know  them?  
 
Play  pupils  excerpts  from  each  of  the  four  concertos  of  Vivaldi’s  ‘Four  Seasons’.  
Ask  pupils  to  guess  what  season  each  excerpt  is  from:    
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Seasons_%28Vivaldi%29  
 
Development  
 
Ask  pupils  to  imagine  the  life  of  a  human  being  as  four  seasons.  Which  season  
would  come  first?  What  period  of  a  person’s  life  would  it  cover,  e.g.  from  birth  to  
infancy,  or  0-­‐12  years?  
 
You  are  going  to  read  the  poem  ‘The  Human  Seasons’,  by  the  19th  century  English  
poet  John  Keats.  Before  you  read,  match  the  vocabulary  from  the  poem  with  the  
definition  on  the  right.  Then,  circle  the  correct  part  of  speech.  
 
1)  Forego   a)  Partly  digested  food  returned  from  
  the  first  stomach  of  ruminants  to  the  
_______    Noun  /  Verb  /  Adjective   mouth  for  further  chewing  
2)  Span   b)  Think  deeply  about  something  |  (Of  
  a  ruminant)  chew  the  cud  
_______    Noun  /  Verb  /  Adjective  
3)  Cud   c)  Roll  or  fold  up  something  neatly  and  
  securely  
_______    Noun  /  Verb  /  Adjective  
4)  Ruminate     d)  A  point  of  entry  or  beginning  
 
_______    Noun  /  Verb  /  Adjective  
5)  Furleth     e)  A  small  stream  
 
_______    Noun  /  Verb  /  Adjective  
6)  Threshold   f)  Go  without  (something  desirable)  
 
_______    Noun  /  Verb  /  Adjective  
7)  Brook   g)  The  length  of  time  for  which  
  something  lasts  
_______    Noun  /  Verb  /  Adjective  
8)  Lusty   h)  Pay  attention  to;  take  notice  of  
 
_______    Noun  /  Verb  /  Adjective  
9)  Heed   i)  Healthy  and  strong;  full  of  vigour    
 
_______    Noun  /  Verb  /  Adjective  

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Read  the  poem  ‘The  Human  Seasons’.  Each  blank  represents  a  different  season,  
with  one  season  mentioned  twice.  
 
Four  Seasons  fill  the  measure  of  the  year;  
There  are  four  seasons  in  the  mind  of  man:  
He  has  his  lusty  _______________,  when  fancy  clear  
Takes  in  all  beauty  with  an  easy  span:  
He  has  his  ________________,  when  luxuriously  
______________’s  honey’d  cud  of  youthful  thought  he  loves  
To  ruminate,  and  by  such  dreaming  high  
Is  nearest  unto  heaven:  quiet  coves  
His  soul  has  in  its  _________________,  when  his  wings  
He  furleth  close;  contented  so  to  look    
On  mists  in  idleness  –  to  let  fair  things  
Pass  by  unheeded  as  a  threshold  brook.  
He  has  his  _________________  of  pale  misfeature,  
Or  else  he  would  forego  his  mortal  nature.  
 
Guess  the  season  and  discuss  your  answers  with  a  partner.    
 
Comprehension  
 
Answer  the  questions,  quoting  the  appropriate  line(s)  of  the  poem  to  support  
your  answer.  
 
1) In  what  season  is  man  like  a  roosting  bird?    

2) In  what  season  is  man  happiest?    

3) When  does  man  begin  to  calm  down?  

4) When  does  man  settle  in  one  place?  

5) When  does  man  stop  pursuing  attractive  women?    

6) What  happens  to  man  in  winter?  

 
 
 
 
 

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Structure  
 
How  many  lines  does  the  poem  contain?    
 
What  is  the  rhyming  scheme?  For  example,  A,  B,  C,  D,  A,  B,  C,  D  or  A,  A,  A,  B,  B,  B  
etc.    
 
When  does  the  rhyming  scheme  change?    
 
How  many  syllables  does  each  line  contain?  How  many  of  these  are  stressed?  
 
A  poem  of  fourteen  lines  in  iambic  pentameter  (‘Four  Seasons  fill  the  measure  
of  the  year’)  with  an  A,  B,  A,  B  rhyming  scheme  that  ends  with  a  rhyming  couplet  
is  called  a  sonnet.    
 
Analysis  
 
Discuss  as  a  class  or  in  groups:  
 
1) Do  you  agree  with  Keats’  four  seasons  metaphor?    
2) What  is  the  potential  double  meaning  in  the  use  of  ‘lusty’  in  the  third  line?    
3) Which  period  of  a  person’s  life  do  you  think  is  ‘nearest  unto  heaven’?  
 
Activity  
 
Girls,  write  a  sonnet  about  the  life  of  women.    
 
Boys,  write  a  sonnet  about  the  life  of  men.    
 
You  can  use  the  same  four  seasons  metaphor  if  you  wish,  or  create  a  new  
metaphor.  For  example,  the  phases  of  the  moon,  or  the  life  cycle  of  a  living  
creature.  Keep  the  sonnet  structure,  but  don’t  use  a  rhyming  scheme  if  it  is  too  
difficult.  If  you’re  having  trouble  getting  started,  use  the  same  opening  line  as  
‘The  Human  Seasons’.    
 
(And  if  pupils  claim  they’re  too  young  to  write  such  a  poem,  point  out  that  Keats  
wrote  many  poems  as  a  teenager  and  died  at  the  age  of  25.)  
 
 
 

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