Transcendental

Stanley Diamond argues that the statements made by Keats in his poem are flawed as Keats asserts that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever”.  Keats is trying to explain that beauty has the power to affect people, as it can change their emotions for the better not just temporarily but “forever”, meaning that this pleasure is never-ending. Diamond believes that this assertion is “forced” and that joy can be related to much more than just beauty. He argues that this claim creates a spiritual problem. Not only is this problem evident in Keats writing but also in the other authors that write in the romantic style.  Romanticism focuses on intense emotion, particularly of the individual. As Keats shows great appreciation to beauty he suggests that beauty has a spiritual source. Thats where Diamond attests that this is not only flawed but also dangerous. Transcendental is defined as something that relates to a spiritual or a nonphysical realm, Diamond believes that poems such as Keats which relate to spiritual beliefs can prove to be dangerous to ones inner self, as it could cause someone to fall into despair.  And he proclaims that Keats is not the only one in making such claims about spirituality but one of the many “Western poets” whom bring up similar themes.