Quote by John Keats, On First Looking Int
Much have I travell'd in the realms of gold, And many goodly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have I been Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. Oft of one wide expanse had I been told That deep-brow'd Homer ruled as his demesne; Yet did I never breathe its pure serene Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold: Then felt I like some watcher of the skies When a new planet swims into his ken; Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes He star'd at the Pacific--and all his men Look'd at each other with a wild surmise-- Silent, upon a peak in Darien.
Summary
This quote, from John Keats' poem "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer," describes the feeling of awe and excitement that comes with discovering something new and remarkable. The speaker, having traveled and seen many great things, compares this experience to that of an astronomer spotting a new planet or the conquistador Cortez beholding the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. It conveys a sense of wonderment and the transformative power of encountering something previously unknown.
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