For those who never read the “About” pages, the title of my blog comes from the Keat’s poem, “Fancy”, not to be confused with the Bobbie Gentry song from the 60s. The context of the line is
- Oh, sweet Fancy! let her loose;
- Every thing is spoilt by use:
- Where’s the cheek that doth not fade,
- Too much gaz’d at? Where’s the maid
- Whose lip mature is ever new?
- Where’s the eye, however blue,
- Doth not weary? Where’s the face
- One would meet in every place?
- Where’s the voice, however soft,
- One would hear so very oft?
- The full text of the poem is easy to find.
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John Keats 1795-1821
The Cheek That Doth Not Fade 
Daniel Alacoque
10 October 2007 at 7:44 pm
John Keats is referring to the imagination when he writes about the character “Fancy” as he believed that through imagination, one can transcend reality. Observing with further detail the poem, “Fancy”, we find Keats reiterating the connection of nature with imagination through beauty. Yeah?
Daniel Alacoque.
cheekfam
26 October 2007 at 9:57 am
Sorry I missed your comment.
Unfortunately I think Keats also despaired of ever really finding the connection because of the fleeting nature of beauty.
Daniel Alacoque
10 December 2007 at 9:01 pm
Your completely right, that bit about the bubbles is used more than once in romantic poetry to describe fleeting natures.
cheekfam
13 December 2007 at 4:37 pm
Of course my use of the “cheek that doth not fade” takes it totally out of context and makes it a positive statement about the Cheek family. But what the heck, many of the literary reference to “cheek” are not appropriate for family viewing.