John Keats was a central figure in the second generation of Romantic poets, along with Byron and Shelley. His 'Great Odes'—including 'Ode to a Nightingale' and 'Ode on a Grecian Urn'—are among the most famous and beloved poems in the English language. Despite a short life tragically cut end by tuberculosis at age 25, he produced a body of work that explored the relationship between art, nature, and mortality. His emphasis on 'negative capability' and the pursuit of beauty remains a foundational influence on modern poetry and aesthetics.