John Keats was born in londonon 1795 to Thomas Keats and Frances Jenning Keats. Keats suffered many trials early in his life, with his father dying in 1805 and his mother soon after that in 1810. Originally an apprentice to a surgeon, he later devoted much of his time to literature, eventually penning Isabella, St. Agnes' Eve and Lamia in Winchester.
Keats published an ill-recieved compilation of poetry in 1817, his first published works. His next year would prove, by many of his critics, as his best year, where he published the subject of this project; Ode to a Nightingale.
Several Poets of the time have written of Keats, a compliation of which can be seen here.
His family was plagued with Tuberculosis, A disease that eventually took Keats in 1821 at the young age of 26. His epitaph on his Tombstone was in two parts; Keats own request,
"Here lies one whose name was writ in Water"without his name appearing. However, friends later added:
"This Grave contains all that was mortal, of a YOUNG ENGLISH POET, who on his Death Bed, in the Bitterness of his heart, at the Malicious Power of his enemies, desired these words to be Engraven on his Tomb Stone."accompanying the symbol of a Lyre with broken strings.