【Abstract】In the Romantic period， John Keats， a young poet creates rich poems both short and long reflecting main features of closeness to nature，which are not only pleasant to the ear and pregnant to the meaning. This paper makes a brief study of John Keats as well as his poems.
　　【Key words】romanticism； nature； lyrical poem； odal hymn
　　1. Introduction
　　The Romantic Period（1798-1832）is a very important age in English literature as well as English history. With the development of the society，， ideology， politics and economics， English literature has greatly developed， reflecting the mental attitudes of Romantic time， which is true of the literature of all countries worldwide of all different periods.
　　2. The English Romanticism
　　The English Romanticism， greatly influenced by the Industrial Revolution and French Revolution， arose as a main literary trend beginning with the publication of Wordsworth’s “ Lyrical Ballads” （1798）， ending with Walter Scott’s death （1832）， and “The great literary impulse of the age is the impulse of Individualism in a wonderful variety of forms”（吳伟仁，1996）emphasizing individual values and aspirations. Whenever one speaks of Romanticism， he would probably relate beauty or truth to human being and nature， including common people’s senses， emotions， inspirations， imaginations and fascinations with different times， different people and different places， searching for beauty in art and nature in， as “Beauty is truth， truth is beauty” by Keats， in poetical works.
　　3. John Keats and his Poems of Nature
　　John Keats（1792-1821）is one of the talented English romantic poets， who has been regarded as a master of poetry of nature. He is greatly influenced by William Wordsworth， the pioneer of Romanticism and his language is natural， plain and elegant. Particularly， he is so skillful in poetic creation that he always produces his images fresh， vivid and appealing.（董洪川、吴松江，1994：123）
　　In John Keats’ life he has composed many poems including short poems and long poems. John Keats composed six odes （Ode on a Grecian Urn， Ode on Indolence， Ode on Melancholy， Ode to a Nightingale， Ode to Psyche and To Autumn）， and they are of some of his most well-known and well-regarded poems. From the nature-related or human-related themes of his all poems， readers may be influenced by his lines or words in his poems. Keats's use of the odal hymn in his six odes， along with his use of the odal hymn with a responsal voice in “Ode to a Grecian Urn” and “Ode to a Nightingale”， created， according to Walter Jackson Bate， “a new tone for the English lyric.” Generally， it is accordantly believed that Keats' odes or poems represent his attempt to create a new type of short lyrical poem， and they have influenced later generations. （From Wikipedia， the free encyclopedia）