Much have I traveled in the realms of gold And many goodly states and…

Much have I traveled in the realms of gold And many goodly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have I been Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. Oft of one wide expanse had I been told That deep-browed Homer ruled as his demesne; Yet never did I breathe its pure serene Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold: Then felt I like some watcher of the skies When a new planet swims into his ken; Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes He stared at the Pacific—and all his men Looked at each other with a wild surmise— Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

John Keats1795–1821 · poet · 1800s EnglandJohn Keats was an English Romantic poet who wrote beautifully about beauty, nature, and the shortness of life, after training as a surgeon and qualifying as an apothecary before turning fully to poetry.20 quotes

Source found

Where these words come from

How sure this is: 95% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer”; Complete public-domain sonnet; full poem read in Academy text. Describes literary discovery through reading Chapman’s Homer. Retains Keats’s “Cortez” wording as poetic text, not a verified historical assertion about who first saw the Pacific; do not silently
Work: “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer”
Sources checked: poets.orgChecked using manual, 20 October 2026“On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer”; Complete public-domain sonnet; full poem read in Academy text. Describes literary discovery through reading Chapman’s Homer. Retains Keats’s “Cortez” wording as poetic text, not a verified historical assertion about who first saw the Pacific; do not silently