Keat's Odes

John Keats was an English romantic poet that openly discussed the human condition by linking his thoughts and ideas through nature and beauty. In his poems, “Bards of Passion and Mirth,” “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” “Ode on Melancholy,” “Ode to autumn,” and “Ode to a Nightingale,” Keats discusses different aspects of human nature such as sadness, young love and pain. He also compares and contrasts concepts like young love and old age, and wanting and circumventing the need for want. Thus, the themes in these poems are not just restricted to these aspects, but are endless in Keats poems; however every poem has a relatable theme in sense of nature, beauty and poetry. Many of his poems are based up on his own experiences and outlook of the human condition during his lifetime.

Bards are defined as oral storytellers and poets, whose stories have lived on for centuries, even though have passed away. Their stories hold a morale or teaching, whether it is in poetry, a fairytale or an epic. This is evident in the poem, “Bards of Passion and of Mirth,” where Keats asks, “ Bards of Passion and Mirth, Ye have left your souls on earth! Have ye souls on earth! Have ye souls in heaven too, doubled lived in regions new? (Lines 1-4)” In turn Keats is suggesting while the bards have passed away, their legacy and their story remains on earth and is re-told and asserted. Keats then continues to assert why these poems and stories are important, ““Here, your earth-born souls still speak, to mortals, of their little week; of their sorrows and delights; of their passions and their spites; of their glory and their shame; what doth strengthen and what maim. Thus ye teach us, every day, wisdom, though fled far away (Lines 29-36).” Consequently, the time period that Keats was observing and writing about, coincides with Industrial Revolution, a time of poverty and atrocious human conditions. In turn, in lines 29-36, Keats is stating that even though the Bards have passed away, that their work has lived on, and their message of hope and their voice of reason provides those who need to be enlightened and strengthened. Keats also claims that these stories provide a way for people to circumvent away from their regular lives and atrocities they face daily.

Nonetheless, while “Bards of Passion and Mirth,” suggest that one should circumvent pain by listening to and attaining the message suggested in these poems and stories, Keats provides another way to circumvent pain, through beauty and nature. This is evident in the poem, “Ode on Melancholy,” where Keats provides ways to evade sadness and suicidal thoughts, through nature and beauty. He first describes melancholy as, “Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud, that fosters the droop-headed flowers fall, and hides the green hill in an April shroud (Lines 11-13).” Basically, Keats describes melancholy as a wave of sadness, unexpected and as if everything is in shades of grey. He then provides ways to evade from this sadness by suggesting, “ Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose, or on the rainbow of the salt-sand wave, or on the wealth of globed peonies (lines 15–17).” In turn, the poet suggests that one should evade melancholy by turning to nature and looking at beauty that Mother Nature has to offer, he even offers examples like looking upon a rose or a rainbow, that can take someone away from their melancholy for a moment. In turn, I also like the paradox Keats makes in the beginning of the poem and end of the poem, by relating, “By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine (line 4)” and “Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine (line 28).” He personifies, the grape to represent death and joy, and that makes that transition from the melancholy one feels in the beginning of the poem, to the joy one feels after melancholy as passed away.

Likewise, “Ode to a Nightingale,” Keats explores another dark topic, death. In this poem, the poet talks about death, and relates his experiences with a nightingale. The nightingale initially triggers happy memories, of greenery and summer time. However, the poet then disproves his previous sentiments by dreaming of alcohol and death, claiming that he wants to fade away and be forgotten, and he relates his reasoning by making a comparison to the nightingale. “What thou among the leaves hast never known, The weariness, the fever, and the fret, Here, where men sit and hear each other groan; Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last grey hairs, Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies; Where but to think is to be full of sorrow (Lines 22-27).” In turn Keats is making a comparison, how the nightingale has the freedom to explore different areas, fly about the greenery, but never be able to understand the worries and the sorrow that mankind faces. He furthermore makes a transition of human life in a very morbid statement, as if one is young and full of life, and the next moment he or she is dead, with weariness and sorrow. Thus, I believe that Keats is comparing and contrasting the ability of an animal like the nightingale to be so free and inspired by its ability to see various aspects of nature, but as humans we have roles in society that makes as weary, and ask young kids we have hopes and dreams, and as we fit into out roles that turns into weariness and sorrow. Consequently, I believe Keats trying to motivate us to be inspired by nature, by the nightingale and its everlasting freedom.

On a lighter night, “Ode to autumn,” is all about embracing changes, and Keats links every aspect of change to nature and beauty of greenery. “Where are the songs of spring? Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, — While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, and touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue; then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn, among the river-sallows, borne aloft, Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies (Lines 23-29).” As suggested above, Keats talks about the changes that occur between seasons, shorter days as darkness evades us earlier, autumn leaves changing to rosy colors, from green fields to red/yellow fields, and finally the river movement furiously alive due to the autumn wind. In turn, I also believe, though Keats is presenting the changes that occur from season to season, and the beauty that comes about these changes. I also feel like he is relating it to humans, ascribing them to embrace change and look at the beauty of change, and not the ugliness.

Finally, in the poem, “Ode on Grecian Urn,” Keats is describing images he sees on an Urn, which is an artifact that holds ashes. This poem plays with concept of young love and innocence, and how images frozen in time retain a sense of beauty. Take for example Keats questioning an image of two young lovers, “ Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave, thy song, not ever can those trees be bare; bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss, though winning near the goal-yet, do not grieve; she cannot fade, though thou has not they bliss, forever wilt thou love, and she be fair (lines 15-20)!” Basically Keats describes a scenario on the urn where two young lovers so close to each other and so close to kissing, but not reaching the zenith. However, he claims that while they will never kiss, they will be in the same state of reverie, young and in love, and entranced with each other’s beauty. Keats brings about multiple points in this statement, he talks about wanting and yearning for ones lover, and he also describes the innocent and fresh feeling of being young and in love, while contrasting the concept of old age and loss of zeal that once existed. Consequently he echoes these sentiments in lines 46- 47, “ when old age shall this generation waste, thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe.” Keats is basically suggesting that will human lives are continuous and we can never remain young and we have multiple worries, the urn and the lovers on this urn are frozen in time, and continuously young and a reverie of romance. Consequently, I believe that Keats is making a statement that we should enjoy every joyous and sincere moment in our lives, because unlike the urn, our moments are not frozen, we are human and we will never get to re-live that moment.  

John Keats was an english romantic poet that presented multiple themes to his audience, whether it be using the power of poetry and stories to circumvent one's condition, to be inspired by nature to circumvent melancholy or death, to accepting changes and finally to enjoy every moment as it doesn't last a lifetime. Each theme that Keats presents not only represent his thoughts and outlook of the human condition, but also represent idealistic ways to look at life.