"Bright Star" Question 1 pg. 792

In considering Question 1 on page 792, I came to understand the ways in which the speaker in John Keats’ “Bright Star” desired to emulate the star as well as the ways in which he was grateful to differ from the star. To begin with, the author aspires to imitate the star in this sense that he wishes to be steadfast, which is revealed in the first line of the poem when the speaker declares, “Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art…” (Keats, 792). Just as the star is firm and resolute in its station in the night sky as it perpetually gazes upon the beauties of the earth below, the speaker, too, wishes to be eternally steadfast in admiration of the woman whom he loves. The star is portrayed as observing with “eternal lids apart” the magnificence of nature, such as the ebb and flow of the sea as well as blankets of snow upon mountaintops. In a similar fashion, the speaker is portrayed as resting with his lover while admiring the beauty of her very nature as she breaths tender breaths. However, the speaker expresses his desire to be different from the star in that he wishes to always be in a close relationship with the woman he loves. Forever banished to the great reaches of the night sky, the star is doomed to an eternity of loneliness in the vast emptiness of the sky, merely left alone to observe beauty like a “sleepless Eremite” (Keats, 792) from afar. The speaker does not in any way envy this isolation of the bright star, for he greatly cherishes his physical and emotional closeness to beauty and love. Rather than having to simply observe the beauty of his lover from afar, the speaker is able to be in close proximity to her and have a personal relationship with her. Therefore, the bright star and the speaker, while both steadfast, differ greatly in this regard. The ways in which the speaker differs from the star greatly behoove the speaker, for this type of close, personal relationship is necessary for humans. While a star is not actually a living being and does not require the company of others, a human being such as the speaker relies on this happiness and love to survive. Keats’ utilization of personification and apostrophe greatly enhance this comparison by personifying the star as an actual living being and having the speaker address the star directly.