John Keats was an English Romantic poet born in 1795 in London. He had a difficult childhood that included losing both parents at a young age. He worked as an apothecary's apprentice before studying medicine. Keats began writing poetry in 1814 and published his first collection in 1817. He fell in love with Fanny Brawne in 1818 but could not marry due to financial difficulties. Keats died of tuberculosis in 1821 at age 26. He is considered one of the most influential English poets of the 19th century.