John Keats’s Concept of ‘Negative Capability’ Is Needed Now More Than Ever
Keats understood the importance of humility, which he described as a 'capability of submission'
A portrait of John Keats (1822) by William Hilton, after Joseph Severn. Keats lost most of his family members to tuberculosis, the disease that would eventually take his own
life on Feb. 23, 1821. Public Domain
When John Keats died 200 years ago, on Feb. 23, 1821, he was just 25 years old. Despite his short life, he’s still considered one of the finest poets in the English language.
Yet in addition to masterpieces such as “Ode to a Nightingale” and “To Autumn,” Keats’s legacy includes a remarkable concept: what he called “negative capability.”
Richard Gunderman
Author
Richard Gunderman, M.D., Ph.D., is Chancellor's Professor of Radiology, Pediatrics, Medical Education, Philosophy, Liberal Arts, Philanthropy, and Medical Humanities and Health Studies at Indiana University. His most recent books are “Marie Curie” and “Contagion.”
