Ode to a Nightingale, a Brief Analysis

John Keats's Ode to a Nightingale is a symbolic debate where the speaker is torn between the world of nature and the world of human suffering. In the poem, the speaker becomes enchanted with the song of a nightingale. As a result of this enchantment, he becomes more and more disgruntled with the mortal world. The speaker allows his imagination to lead him into flight with the nightingale. It is then that he expresses his desire to leave the earthly world and become a permanent part of nature. The speaker's desire to "fade away into the forest dim" exhibits his heartfelt wish (20). The speaker's choice to retreat into the forest symbolizes his desire to retreat into nature. It also symbolizes his wish to die and permanently connect to nature. In the mind of the speaker, death is the only escape. The speaker in Ode to a Nightingale has lost one of his senses and is unable to connect with nature. He describes the loss: "I cannot see what flowers are at my feet," (41). This inability to connect with nature in the human world only strengthens his resolve to leave the earthly world of human suffering.

Keats acknowledges the permanence of nature and all things natural. He comments that the nightingale's song is immortal and transcends time and place. He states: "Thou wast not born for death, immortal bird" (61). The speaker is tempted to forsake the world he lives in for the idyllic world of nature that the nightingale belongs to. He longs for the freedom from earthly burdens and afflictions. His only escape is through the song of the nightingale and in the mind of the speaker, death is the only way to join the nightingale. However, he realizes that in death, he would be unable to hear the nightingale's song. He knows that when he dies, his life is over. And although the speaker has connected with the nightingale and feels as if they are one, he knows that there will be other nightingales. It is this realization that ends the debate for Keats: "it is with this contemplation that Keats ultimately recoils from, and realizes the futility of the temptation..." (Moorehead). In the end, the nightingale flies away and the speaker questions whether or not the encounter with the nightingale really occurred or was a dream. In either case, the speaker's, albeit brief, encounter with the nightingale provides an escape from his problems. However, he is quickly brought back to reality with no lasting healing encounter. His connection to the nightingale symbolizes escape from the pain he suffers. Through this brief union, the speaker is able to connect with nature and discovers his position in relation to the nightingale and the rest of the natural world.

Sources:

John Keats. "Ode to a Nightengale." http://www.bartleby.com/101/624.html

Michael Morehead. "Keats 'Ode to a Nightingale' and Hardy's 'The Oxen." Expilcator.