About the author
John Keats was an English poet of the second generation of romantic poets with his contemporaries Lord Bayron and PB Shelley Keats died at a very early age of 25 from tuberculosis he was considered the master of Ode during his time.
Introduction
Ode to Nightingale is a poem written by John Keats, he wrote this poem under a plum tree in Keats house garden. According to one of his friend a bird called nightingale had build a nest in Keats Garden during spring season, inspired by bird`s song Keats decide to give a title of nightingale and composed a ode poem.
Ode to Nightingale first published in 1819 in `Annals of the fine arts`, This is a personal poem which describes Keats`s journey into the state of negative capability. Ode to Nightingale explore the theme of nature, transience and mortality.
Background
Ode to Nightingale written during spring season of 1819 it was composed at the Hampstead house of Keats who is living with his friend Brown, his friend described that Keats written this poem sitting Beneath a plum tree in the garden. Ode to Nightingale was written and finished in just one morning Keats finished this poem in just one sitting.
Structure of the poem (Literary form)
This poem is written in a form of Ode, like most of the other Odes this poem is also written in 10 lines stanzas consisting total of eight stanzas. Unlike the most other poems of Keats it is more metrically variable metrically means there are used more and more meters in the poem. As we talk about the rhythm of the poem ode to Nightingale written in ABAB(CD) rhythm, this rhythm is Keats most basic form of Odes.
Themes
John Keats presented the themes of creative expression and mortality of human life and also transience of life and tragedy of old age, Poet creatively expected the themes in the old style but some lines like the `vast not born for death immortal bird` he expressed the immortality of human life. Keats presented the theme of old age too. Another theme is transience means existence of nature for very short time the nightingale, the voice of the nature he is enjoying at this time is very short term.
Nightingale is the best example of being happy too happy in thine happiness means to be happy in others happiness. Poet was being happy because nightingale was happy and singing the sweet song so poet also indulge into song and becomes happy.
Critical analysis
Stanza 1
My heart aches, and a drowsy...................................................
................................................................in full-throated ease.
In the very beginning of the poem poet was a sleeping while hearing the song of nightingale this represents the dullness and the poet was gloomy. The most important aspect of romantic poetry is that it supports escapism, John Keats is also an escapist Poetry gives the imagination form that we can escape from reality, in dream poet listens this sweet song of nightingale and enjoys it.
Stanza 2
O, for a draught of vintage!.......................................................
................................................................away into the forest dim.
The second stanza starts with speakers Desire of alcohol expressing his wish for wine poet desire for Alcohol because he wants to forget the difficulties of life but his sensitiveness does not allow him he express the desire for wine by this line a `Draught of Vintage`.
Stanza 3
Fade far away, dissolve,.............................................................
............................................................them beyond to-morrow.
According to Keats life is tough and painful so it is difficult to face the harsh realities of life by using the phrase `fade far away quite forget` poet wants to forget the troubles that never known by Nightingale.
Keats also sketches the world of reality, In Real world humans sit and talk about each other`s sadness by using `groves pale and Spectre-thin and dies` he talks about the life by using the theme of transience he defines that beauty is in this world does not last long. He give the poem a Universal appeal by talking about worries of people.
Stanza 4
Away! away!..............................................................................
.................................................................. and winding mossy ways.
This stanza starts with escape from reality in the beginning of the poem he desires for alcohol but now he gives up on his idea and poet wants escape from reality rather than taking alcohol poetry gives him the escape from reality. He describes as a `view less ending of poesy`. Keats poetic imagination helps him to start journey to a new word. Poet concludes the stanza by saying that wine is a temporary solution although imagination is also not an everlasting solution yet a beautiful sentiment.
Stanza 5
I cannot see what flowers..........................................................
........................................................haunt of flies on summer eves.
Keats appeals to 3 senses of human sight, smell and touch, there is darkness everywhere but he has seen the shining moon however he can't see anything because of Darkness but he can smell the flowers Keats talks about ``a midway eldest son``. While talking about the flowers and describing flowers, moon, flies, rays and trees we can say poet has high imaginative powers.
Stanza 6
Darkling I listen;........................................................................
.................................................high requiem become a sod.
According to poet death is much peaceful and pleasant for him, the nightingale`s song is a peaceful as death to him by using a `Escape death` he sees death as a freedom, death is actually a solution of his problems, he wants nothing but a peaceful death in this temporary world. so poet wants the permanent solution if death comes at this point in life it would bring happiness however the only loss he has is that after that he can't be able to hear the sweet song of nightingale.
Stanza 7
Thou wast not born for death,....................................................
..............................................................in faery lands forlorn.
This stanzas is totally different from stanza 3 rather than describing reality he described the world of nightingale. Keats puts two things in a juxtaposition, life and song of right angle. It is the comparison of more mortality and immortality poet refers to Ruth from Bible she had also listen to the song of nightingale, in short it has been heard by kings, knights, Warriors and maidens and will be listened in the future. Also the poet proves the song of nightingale is Immortal although life is more tell me moral.
Stanza 8
Forlorn! the very word...............................................................
..........................................................Do I wake or sleep?
By using the word `Forlum` indicates and restore the speaker from the nightingale and back to reality. As the nightingale flies away from him he recalls that imagination has failed him because he can't exactly remember that nightingale`s music was a vision or a waking dream Keats call this process of `deceiving elf` at the end he asked a question that, Do I wake for sleep.
Summary
John Keats was in a state of uncomfortable drowsiness, The imagined happiness of nightingale is not responsible for his condition but the song of nightingale brought happiness for him.
The poet desires for the wine to go away from the reality and the wine would and put him in the state of awareness. As life is full of pain and sorrow but by going far from reality he will forget all the miseries and experience, however as poet experience that there is a nature around him he can see the moon and stars in the darkness he listens to nightingale`s song at that moment he thought it would be right experience to die at this moment the poet say is not as a disaster but I want escape from reality and forget misery and all the problems. The last line of the last stanza poet conclude the poem that Keats can not be escaped even with imagination as the nightingale fly away he asked him a question that is he awake or asleep.
Conclusion
Ode to Nightingale is highly impressive poem by John kids by this poem we can understand that kids was a pure romantic poet and it reveals his strong imaginative powers poet perfectly compared and demonstrated nature its objects according to him the song of night angle is Immortal and kids strongly believed that imagination is pleasurable and life is painful as a conclusion we can say that ode to Nightingale is among the varied glorified poems of English Poetry.
