November 1818 - December 1819


Photograph

Recto of leaf 2 of John Keats, A.L.s to George and Georgiana Keats. [16 Dec 1818-4 Jan. 1819]. pfMS Keats 1.45. Gift of Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., 1952.

John Keats. Autograph letter to George and Georgiana Keats, 16 December 1818-4 January 1819.

Soon after first meeting Brawne (and confessing he found her both beautiful and strange), Keats wrote to his brother George and his brother’s wife Georgiana, and included this facetiously critical description of her:

“Shall I give you Miss Brawn [sic]? She is about my height – with a fine style of countenance of the lengthen’d sort -  she wants sentiment in every feature -  she manages to make her hair look well – her nostrills are fine – though a little painful – he[r] mouth is bad and good – he[r] Profil [sic] is better than her full-face which indeed is not full but pale and thin without showing any bone. Her shape is very graceful and so are her movements – her Arms are good, her hands bad-ish – her feet tolerable – she is not seventeen – but she is ignorant – monstrous in her behaviour, flying out in all directions, calling people such names – that I was forced lately to make use of the term Minx – this is I think no[t] from any innate vice but from a penchant she has for acting stylishly. I am however tired of such style and shall decline any more of it.”

pfMS Keats 1.45.  Gift of Arthur A. Houghton Jr., 1952.