Lines 1-4:

In the opening lines, the poet establishes the image of the star that is the central focus of the poem. The star is said to be eternal ("patient"), unchanging ("sleepless"), and beyond the speaker's immediate grasp ("aloft"). Furthermore, the star is described as watching over earth, rather than being watched by someone. As a result, the star nearly pushes the speaker's presence out of the octave—the poem's first eight lines: the word "I" is mentioned only in the first line. This is indicative of a change that occurred in Keats's work as his career progressed. His earlier poems are more concerned with self-consciousness and personal matters but his later work, such as "Bright Star! Would I Were Steadfast as Thou Art," include a more harmonious acceptance of nature for what it is, beyond the self s interpretation of it.

Lines 5-8:

The second part of...