John Keats was born on 31 October 1795 and became one of the most significant figures of the second generation of Romantic poets. Despite a short career that lasted only a few years, his work is celebrated for its vivid imagery, sensuous language, and profound exploration of beauty and mortality.

During his brief life, Keats produced a body of work that has had a lasting influence on English literature. His most famous compositions include:

• Ode to a Nightingale
• Ode on a Grecian Urn
• To Autumn
• Endymion
• Hyperion

Keats faced significant personal hardship, including the early loss of his parents and a long struggle with tuberculosis. He travelled to Rome in an attempt to improve his failing health, but he died there on 23 February 1821 at the age of twenty-five. He is buried in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome.

Although his poetry received mixed reviews from contemporary critics, Keats's reputation grew steadily after his death. He is now regarded as one of the pre-eminent poets in the English language, admired for his technical mastery and his ability to capture the complexity of the human experience.