Ode To A Nightingale Essays - Ode To A Nightingale,

Ode To A Nightingale ODE TO A NIGHTINGALE As one reads this poem of John Keats, the overwhelming feeling is the envy the poet feels toward the nightingale and his song. He compared the carefree life of the bird to the pain, suffering and mortality of men. He continually referred to Greek gods and mythology when speaking of the nightingale as somehow the Bird possessed magical powers. The speaker opened with the explanation my heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains my sense as he listened to the song of the nightingale. He compared his feelings to those of a person that had drunk hemlock or an opiate so that their senses had become dull, or as if drinking from Lethe-wards, a river of the lower world, which produced forgetfulness of past life. Keats compared the bird to that of a Dryad, or a female spirit, which was assigned a certain tree to watch over and whose life was so closely connected to the tree that if it were to die so would the Dryad. Or perhaps in some mysterious way the nightingale's song were some melodious plot to enchant his listener. He explained the reason for his envy as being happy in thy happiness or because the bird sang so beautifully with full throated ease. Keats longs for the effects of liquor draught of vintage with the taste of the country flora and country green which when consumed brings dance, song and mirth. He compares the song of the bird with the song of his poetry when he wishes to be full of the true?Hippocrene which was a mythical fountain on Mount Helicon that inspired poetically. He reflected on the belief that unlike his poetry, the nightingale's song would be remembered for eternity, because the Bird's tune would go unchanged, while his words would fade with time, so he wished that I might drink and leave the world unseen. Wishing to drink and disappear, to fade away into the forest dim, fade far away or rather to dissolve and ?forget we see how desired to escape from life and the problems that all men must cope with. He related how he felt about his life weariness, the fever and the fret and the fact that all men sit and hear each other groan. Some of his lamenting came from his despair about aging, how youth grows pale and spectre-thin, and dies; where but to think is to be full of sorrow and leaden-eyed despairs. In comparison to himself the nightingale seemed to have a life of ease, sitting among the trees without a care, simply singing. He told the nightingale to fly away for I will fly to thee, yet rather than be carried off by Bacchus and his pard the Roman god of wine and intoxication, he wished to be carried off by wings of Poesy. This Poesy refers to Keats poetry and he realized that he would not be able to compose while intoxicated, so he described this condition as the dull brain [that] perplexes and retards. Yet while he is with the nightingale and her sweet song already with thee! tender is the night he imagined the Queen-Moon ?on her throne, cluster'd around by all her starry Fays or fairies; for it is said that only during a full moon may one witness fairy dances. This alludes to the magical condition he believes the nightingale possesses and how she is able to lead him to this world of lore. At this time there is very little light to identify his surroundings, so his senses were awakened as he recognized the soft incense hang[ing] upon the boughs and detected the scents of the fruit tree wild, hawthorn, violets, the musk-rose full of sweet wine and listened to the murmurous haunt of flies. As he sat in the dark listening, he contemplated his death and related how he is half in love with easeful Death having written many times about him or call'd him?.in many a mused rhyme. At this time Keats thinks it is a good time to die and do away with whatever pain he may experience, as he said seems it rich to die to cease upon midnight with no pain