Bright Star!: Structure & Language Techniques

Structure

“Bright Star!” adheres to the Italian sonnet form commonly known as the Petrarchan sonnet. It is composed of an octave (first eight lines) and a sestet (last six lines).
The rhyme scheme reflects this structure, following an ABBA ABBA CDC DCD pattern.
There is a clear volta, or turn, at line 9, “Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath”, where the subject shifts from the star to the speaker’s beloved.

Language Techniques

Keats uses iambic pentameter, a rhythmic pattern comprising five sets of unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables.
Throughout the poem, Keats employs a form of enjambment (lines that do not end with a full stop, but carry on onto the next line). This smooth flow of words can be seen as a reflection of the star’s constancy.
Metaphor is used when Keats describes himself as a “pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast”, depicting his desires in a delicate and intimate way.

Imagery & Allusion

The star imagery in the poem evokes Keats’s interest in themes of eternity and transience. He imagines the star as an observer, gazing down upon the earth’s natural wonders.
Keats’s description of the star as “watching, with eternal lids apart” uses personification, assigning human characteristics to the star. This makes the star more relatable and vivid to readers.
The poem also includes allusion to the “moving waters” and the “snow upon the mountains”, suggesting an underlying theme of the passing of time and change in nature.

Sound & Rhythm

Repeated use of the word “still” in the sestet introduces a caesura, creating a lyrical rhythm that reflects the tranquillity the speaker seeks.
Keats utilises assonance (repetition of vowel sounds) in “star”, “apart”, “watch”, “washed” and “soft”. This creates a soothing, melodic sound when reading the poem.
The use of sibilance (repeated “s” sounds) in the poem, such as in “snow on the mountains”, creates a hushed tone, adding to the quiet tranquillity of the scene.