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Title: Superfluous Work by Author Seeing Politics Where There Are None
Review: This is a thoroughly unnecessary biography by a hack writer who forces his opinions and perspective on to Keats's life. Keats was basically apolitical. Read his letters and poems and you find almost no politics. There are already three fine biographies on Keats, one a masterpiece of biography and literary criticism by W.J. Bate. Motion should be ashamed to have written this biography. Keats is the favorite poet of many people. This biography can't keep his genius and great work from emerging in its pages, though Motion tries his best to botch everything. This focus on Keats's politics is part of the almost thorougly discredited New History that treats context and fact as mere bowling pins to knock over. A disgraceful performance by Motion.
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