Bright Star

"Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art" - John Keats

I really enjoyed this poem.  Just as the speaker shows a certain interest and respect for stars, I find the stars above to be beautiful and calming.  What I noticed right from the start of this poem is that the first line is an example of an apostrophe in which the speaker addresses the star. In this way, the speaker is able to create a situation where it is a reality to live as a star lives, perhaps still being able to think and have feelings as a human would.  The speaker wishes to be like the star in that it doesn't change as the world it looks down upon does. This ability to look down on the world is another characteristic the speaker wishes to hold, along with the ability to watch from a distance at the activitites of this world. On the other hand, though, the speaker realizes that there would be drawbacks of being a star.  Loneliness would be a huge disadvantage and personally I would hate this aspect.  One would only be able to sit and watch with no real communication with others at all.  Even though I am mystified by the stars, I surely do not wish to be one.  I found it very odd that the speaker said in the poem that he wants to live like a star, "or else swoon to death."  Does this mean that the speaker would rather die than live a life like anything other than as a star?