Poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) is mostly a recluse, writing poetry and caring for his dying brother. He attracts the attention of neighbor Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), and despite her initial hesitation towards Keats and literature itself, they become romantically interested in each other. Keats has not attracted fame or fortune yet, so their love is not accepted. They carry on anyway, despite Fanny’s mother (Kerry Fox) and Keats’s friend Charles Brown (Paul Schneider), who seems to view Fanny as competition for Keats’s interest. Unfortunately, Keats himself also falls sick, and he’s sent off to Italy without Fanny, who must learn to relish the time they had together rather than mourn the time they didn’t.