John Keats: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Fragment of "The Castle Builder

John Keats

“Fragment of "The Castle Builder” as printed in The Poetical Works of John Keats (1884).

John Keats: Collected Lyrics Text 13 1884 · historical text
Public domainSong lyricsRomantic
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Poetical Works of John Keats, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

To-night I'll have my friar—let me think

About my room,—I'll have it in the pink;

It should be rich and sombre, and the moon,

Just in its mid-life in the midst of June,

Should look thro' four large windows and display

Clear, but for gold-fish vases in the way,

Their glassy diamonding on Turkish floor:

The tapers keep aside, an hour and more,

To see what else the moon alone can show;

While the night-breeze doth softly let us know

My terrace is well bower'd with oranges.

Upon the floor the dullest spirit sees

A guitar-ribbon and a lady's glove

Beside a crumple-leaved tale of love;

A tambour-frame, with Venus sleeping there,

All finished but some ringlets of her hair;

A viol, bow-strings torn, cross-wise upon

A glorious folio of Anacreon;

A skull upon a mat of roses lying,

Ink'd purple with a song concerning dying;

An hour glass on the turn, amid the trails

Of passion-flower;—just in time there sails

A cloud across the moon,—the lights bring in!

And see what more my phantasy can win.

It is a gorgeous room, but somewhat sad;

The draperies are so, as tho' they had

Been made for Cleopatra's winding-sheet;

And opposite the steadfast eye doth meet

Verse 2

A spacious looking-glass, upon whose face,

In letters raven-sombre, you may trace

Old "Mene, Mene, Tekel Upharsin."

Greek busts and statuary have ever been

Held, by the finest spirits, fitter far

Than vase grotesque and Siamesian jar;

Therefore 'tis sure a want of attic taste

That I should rather love a gothic waste

Of eyesight on cinque-colored potter's clay,

Than on the marble fairness of old Greece.

My table-coverlits of Jason's fleece

And black Numidian sheep-wool should be wrought,

Gold, black, and heavy from the Lama brought.

My ebon sofas should delicious be

With down from Leda's cygnet progeny

My pictures all Salvator's, save a few

Of Titian's portraiture, and one, though new,

Of Haydon's in its fresh magnificence.

My wine—O good! 'tis here at my desire,

And I must sit to supper with my friar.

Credits

Written by John Keats

Words by John Keats. Historical text published in The Poetical Works of John Keats (1884); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Poetical Works of John Keats (1884), “Fragment of "The Castle Builder”

Every text in this 1884 collected edition is by John Keats (1795-1821), who died more than 200 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

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Retrieved 2026-10-27. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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