Meditation
Written just three years before John Keats died of tuberculosis at the young age of 25, this poem about mortality anxiety is one that resonates deeply with our collective human experience. This life is precious, and fate’s mysterious workings are outside our grasp. Keats’ fear of death lies in his desire to stay connected to his love, and more broadly to this world. But he finds that fear itself keeps him disconnected from the very act of living. When you feel overcome with fear and anxiety, how do you reconnect to that which is important to you? How do you practice gratitude for the present, without practicing fear of loss? Today, how can you relish the “faery power of love” and immerse yourself in the act of living?
Brianna Curran
Washington, DC
