Ode
to nightingle
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.
