keats was the son of an inn-keeper thomas keats, who died when keats was nine years old and frances keats; and his mother died of tuberculosis in 1810. the young keats began studying to be a surgeon, though his interest in literature grew stronger than his interest in medicine. he became a friend and follower of the poet and editor james henry leigh hunt, and made his first attempts to write his own poetry. keats's active writing life lasted only about six years, from the spring of 1814 through 1819.