There were so many books on the shelves of my uni library that were based on the derivative of "Beauty is truth, truth is beauty" etc. About three metres of shelving worth. It was an Art library, so it had all the things - poetry, theory books, rambling philosophical prose on Art, and so on.
But that derivative quote of Keats is definitely one that sticks with me, so it made me pay more attention to your post :)
As a photographer in my other life (I have too many lives) the shape of darkness is a place I can add mystery or hide things, or, if I'm being really skilled, suggest at the presence of something else - and if I'm being the most skilled I possibly can be, in that darkness tell the viewer exactly what they're going to see, and feel, based on what isn't in the light.
There is always something in the shadow - and that's entirely a good thing - that is where we can find hidden detail, meaning, feeling, and messages that are not always apparent. If we investigate both the shadows and the light, then and only then, can we have the full picture, because without the stuff in the light, we would never get the shadow.
I love the way you relate use of the dark and shadows with photography. I've seen some of your photos and you have a good eye! I'm not a great photographer, but when the mood strikes me I like playing with light and shadows. They are beautiful dance partners and well suited for each other. Nature is a perfect match maker.
Keats is one of my favorites.
Long before I held his works in my hands his verse left a lasting impression on me with a .50 prism sticker out of a vending machine that had this same verse from Ode to a Grecian Urn accompanied by the image of a unicorn. I was a teenager and put the sticker on a place of prominence as a young girl..on my makeup case.(lol)
Poetry marked me for life.
And so it should!