How did John Keats react to negative reviews of Endymion?
Contrary to some later assertionsâincluding a popular myth perpetuated by Percy Bysshe Shelley and mocked by Lord Byronâthat the harsh criticism of Endymion in the Quarterly Review contributed to his death, John Keats actually met these negative reviews with a calm assertion of his own talents.12
Rather than being "snuffed out" by the critiques, Keats continued to write poetry steadily. He remained focused on his artistic development, later attempting to address the technical weaknesses identified in Endymion through more disciplined works such as Lamia. His personal struggles during this period, including his own failing health from tuberculosis and the death of his brother, were far more significant factors in his life than the literary attacks he endured.13