Describe the Effect of the Song of the Nightingale on the Poet.
"Ode to a Nightingale" is a notable literary work by John Keats. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of "Ode to a Nightingale".
Answer
Describe the effect of the song of the Nightingale on the poet.
John Keats (1795-1821) is considered the inaugurator of escapism. In Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale” (1819), the song of the nightingale has a profound impact on the poet. This evokes various emotions and thoughts that shape his experience.
Escape from Reality: The nightingale’s song provides an escape from the harshness of reality. Keats feels a deep desire to flee from the troubles of life. He seeks relief in the bird’s euphonic song. He expresses this sentiment in these lines:
Away! away! for I will fly to thee,
Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards.
Intoxication and Enchantment: The song’s intoxicating beauty enchants the poet. This leads him to seek a form of bliss or altered state. He desires to be in a condition of joy similar to that of the nightingale, exclaiming,
O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been
Cool’d a long age in the deep-delvèd earth.
The desire for a drink symbolizes the desire for an intoxicating experience akin to the nightingale’s song.
Reflection on Mortality and Transience: Amidst the enchantment, the poet grapples with the transient nature of life. He contrasts the nightingale’s eternal song with the fleetingness of human existence. This contemplates the brevity of joy and beauty. Keats laments,
Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
No hungry generations trample thee down.
The nightingale’s immortality emphasizes the poet’s mortality.
The Desire for Immortality: The nightingale’s song reveals the poet’s desire for immortality. The Desire to leave a lasting legacy akin to the bird’s eternal melody. He wishes to escape the confines of time, expressing,
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?
Fled is that music—Do I wake or sleep?
The fleeting nature of the song leaves the poet questioning the boundary between reality and the ethereal realm of dreams.
The Nightingale’s song in Keats’s poem becomes a symbol of immortality. This impacts the poet profoundly on multiple levels.