John Keats was a prominent English poet of the Romantic movement, alongside Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His literary career spanned less than four years before his untimely death from tuberculosis at the age of 25. Initially, his work was met with mixed reviews, but his renown grew significantly posthumously. By the late 19th century, Keats was recognized as a seminal figure in English literature, heavily influencing many writers, including those of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

Keats's poetry is distinguished by its rich, sensual imagery, notably in his acclaimed series of odes. His style was typical of the Romantics, characterized by an emphasis on intense emotion through vivid natural imagery. Among his most famous works are "Ode to a Nightingale", "Ode on a Grecian Urn", "Sleep and Poetry", and the sonnet "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer". Keats's letters are also highly regarded, often celebrated for their exploration of his aesthetic theory of "negative capability."

Jorge Luis Borges once remarked that his first encounter with Keats's poetry was a profoundly impactful experience that resonated throughout his life.