Ode to a Nightingale
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Ode to a Nightingale
Introduction
This paper examines the poem “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats written by Keats in the spring of 1819. Thispoem is one among the six celebrated odes by Keats. This particular work was chosen because of several reasons. First, the author, John Keats, is mentioned along with Shakespeare as one of the greatest lyric poets in English ever (Poetry Foundation, 2014). In Britain, Keats is held in great reverence and is widely studied and admired.This informed the decision to explore the works of Keats and find out what it is in the works that have elevated him to such a status. Secondly, Keats’ poem, “The Ode to a Nightingale” was hailed by no less a person than Swinburne was as a masterpiece was that would last for all time. Bate declared it as a nearly perfect poem while Ridley described it as a cool and faultless poem. This also informed the decision to choose this particular piece of work for study. Thirdly, the poem “Ode to a Nightingale” was chosen because it is a romantic poem, which embodies the richness of romantic poetry and is easy to comprehendunlike the romantic poems written by other poets of his time. I have a great interest in romantic poems and it was thus easy to choose this particular work. Fourthly, the poem was chosen because its style is easy, the poems is imaginative and conjures mental images, and it clearly weaves the music of the nightingale into the poem. Fifthly, it redefines the ode, as it is a clear departure from the works of Coleridge, Lord Byron, and Wordsworth that he viewed as complicated, lacking style, incomprehensible, and boorish. Finally, I chose the poem because I had previously read its criticism as “vulgar”, “incongruous”, and “uncouth” and this gave me the urge to study it.
1. What I know about this poem
The poem “Ode to a Nightingale” was written in 1819 and considered as one of the greatest pieces of Romantic art. Its written with an elegant style, is laced with creativity and rich in metaphor. It is full of persuasive power as it lucidly brings out the themes that the author wants to address. I also know that the poem is disruptive due to its non-conformist nature relative to the poems of the time. Though relevant to the theme and substance of romanticism, the poem “Ode to a Nightingale” was unconventional in form, style, language, and temper. It was unlike the earlier works of the great romantic poets. Its deviation from the “greatness” of the works by Coleridge, Byron, Wordsworth, and other great poets of the time was the substance of much criticism that Keats was subjected to. Keats wrote several other odes but this particular poem was unique due to its distinctive rhyme scheme. I also know that the poem has eight stanzas and each stanza has ten lines.
2. Summary of the Source
As noted before, “Ode to a Nightingale” is a poem that is made up of ten stanzas. Each of the stanzas explores a particular theme. In the first stanza, the poem decries the fleeting nature of human life. In the second stanza, the poem tackles the theme of escapism where he longs to imbibe in alcohol, flee his human body, and join the nightingale. In the third stanza, the poet rejects the idea of fleeing his human body through alcohol and instead talks about indulging in “poesy” as a means of escapism. In the fourth to the seventh stanzas, the poet indulges himself in the music of the nightingale while in the last stanza, he comes to his senses and as the nightingale flies away, he is left in a state of uttersomberness.
3. Analysis of the Source
a. Purpose of the source
The poem explores various themes but it is largely a romantic poem, which tackles the issues of love.
b. Target audience
The poem was not meant for any particular target group but was meant to be appreciated by the public
c. Breadth and depth
Concerning the poem’s breadth, it talks about everyday themes that face the human race. It talks about the transience of the human life and explores the mortality of man.This draws parallels with the author’s life especially events associated with his father’s death and later his mother’s death all when he was still a child. This left an indelible mark in his life. His grandmother’s death and his own impending death also seem to have imparted some sensibilities in Keats, which are reflected in the poem. It also talks about the frailties of old age. The theme of escapism is tackled. The author talks about fleeing the human body to join that of the nightingale. On another occasion, he talks about becoming drunk with alcohol as a means of escape before settling on “poesy” as a means of escape. Thus, the poem can be said to be broad as it addresses a range of issues. The poem does not delve deeply into the themes mentioned above but the depth of the romanticism is tackled rather deeply.
d. Style
The style of the poem can be considered as informal. This is because it does not conform to the style of romantic poetry so common during the 19th century. A romantic poem was quite unlike the romantic poems of that age and time. The informality of the poem is seen in the choice of words, its lyricism, the tone of the poem, and its simplicity relative to the complicated poems of acclaimed poets such as Wordsworth. Additionally, Keats received no formal education in literature and this is reflected in his style of writing. He was trained as a surgeon but excelled in poetry. This informality exposed Keats to the most virulent attacks of literary critics of the day who described his work as over-sentimental, coarse, incongruous, and offensive.
e. Conclusion / evaluation
This poem looked at the works of John Keats. Specifically, the paper evaluated the poem “Ode to a Nightingale”. It was noted that this poem adopted an informal style far different from the style of other romantic poems written by acclaimed authors such as Wordsworth and Coleridge. The poem tackles the issues of love, the fleeting nature of human life, frailties of old age, and escapism. I found the source to be useful as it raised fundamental issues of life. I also learnt about the sad story of the author, about the deaths of his parents, his struggles in life and love and his early death at only twenty-five years without having accomplished what he dreamt of.
4. Works consulted