I don't know how I have reached this point in my life and never read John Keats' letters to Fanny. I was familiar with Keats' poetry of course and had always heard vague mentions of his ill fated love affair before his death but I had never read further. Which, if I do say so myself, is really quite unlike me seeing as I spent a fair amount of time being obsessed with the Browning's letters in the past. But I digress.Normally I hate movie tie in editions of books but this one sold me with its pretty font and promise of a beautiful SLA to borrow a term from a favorite blogger . I haven't seen the movie yet because it is only playing in snooty movie theaters that would involve driving more than 5 minutes (5 minutes being the current home to theater commute time for repeated viewings of TwiMoon). But now I have some motivation to get there.
The letters are so heartbreaking & beautiful. Its funny to read something on such a higher plane after being so immersed in Twimania over the past week. Its not that I had started to think Edward was this amazing romantic hero but I had been thinking he makes a few swoon worthy declarations to Bella. And that right there is a sign that I have been lingering too long in the world of teen fiction & need to have an intervention with my self.
Here is appropriate swooning material for non-tweens:
"For myself I know not how to express my devotion to so fair a form: I want a brighter word than bright, a fairer word than fair. I almost wish that we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days- three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain." (I)
"I will imagine you Venus tonight and pray, pray, pray to your star like a heathen.
Your's ever, fair Star, John Keats" (III)
"I cannot exist without you. I am forgetful of everything but seeing you again- my Life seems to stop there- I see no further. You have absorb'd me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I was dissolving... My sweet Fanny, will your heart never change? My love, will it? I have no limit now to my love... I could be martyred for my Religion- Love is my religion- I could die for it. I could die for you. My Creed is love and you are its only tenet..." (VIII)
