Introductory
A poet of stature like John Keats does not require any introduction. Keats is a very famous poet of the second wave of the Romantic era. He is best known for his odes. Before discussing John Keats as a writer of odes, first, we have to make it clear that what exactly is an ode.
In its original form, an ode was a lyrical poem that was meant to be sung along with a musical instrument known as a lyre. But when the ode appeared in the hands of English writers, they removed the elements of music from it and kept its lyrical quality within itself. Today, an ode is expected to have the following characteristics:
- An ode is an address to an abstract object.
- Ode is a natural and spontaneous flow of the emotions of the writer.
- An ode is expected to be serious.
- An ode can be composed of any form or poetic meter but it should be a complex one.
The odes of John Keats are known for the dramatic elements, negative capability, the immortality of art and lyrical flow.
Dramatic Elements
Drama is characterized by the action it unfolds. However, in Keats realm of odes, dramatic action is not a direct action. But it is rather a development of the action that may come out as a result of the contents of a particular ode. Almost all of the famous odes written by Keats have this characteristic of the development of action. For instance, in Ode to a Nightingale, Keats is desirous to get out of his world of melancholy into the peaceful realm of Nightingale (or he just wants a beaker "full of warm South" 😃). But, later, we see a dramatic movement of the poet or the nightingale, when the presence of the forest is felt through the fragrance of the flowers. Similarly, in Ode on a Grecian Urn ⚱️, the urn itself is shown as a spectacle on which something "unheard" is being played by the pipers engraved on it. In both the examples, there is no stage to perform the dramatic action, rather the action is performed in our imagination through the use of vivid imagery.
Negative Capability
To simply put, Negative Capability is the removal of self. Or becoming the protagonist or the centre of action in a work. This term was also coined by John Keats. His odes are known for the negative capability in them. For instance, in Ode to a Nightingale, John Keats himself becomes a nightingale through the "viewless wings of Poesy". In Ode on a Grecian Urn, we notice Keats as one of the listeners of the "unheard music" or a jealous spectator watching two lovers running after each other. Or in Ode to Autumn, the poet becomes the autumn itself watching the storehouse being filled with grains.
Immortality of Art
The main theme of the odes composed by John Keats is the immortality of art. According to Keats, art and Nature shall continue to evolve and thrive respectively regardless of the mortality of human beings. The song of the nightingale shall be heard forever which is a wonder of Nature. Keats suggests that man can become immortal through his work of art. This suggestion is strongly traceable in Ode on a Grecian Urn which specifically mentions,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
Perhaps the engraving on the urn is an indirect symbol of the immortality of art as the ancient customs and people are long gone. But the urn has kept their way of living.
Lyrical Flow
As mentioned in the characteristics of an ode, lyrical flow is an important element of it. Keats' odes are marked with a lyrical flow which, then, turns his personal emotions into universally acceptable ideas. Take, for example, Ode on a Nightingale. It is an outcome of his pure emotions of the desire of escapism. This personal escape becomes universal because such a desire for escape is not limited to Keats himself but is observed in every person living on the planet earth who is fatigued by the responsibilities of the world, regardless of his or her gender.
Conclusion
John Keats is a great writer of odes on the basis of turning his personal emotions into universal ones and suggesting ways of being immortal through the work of art. Keats'odes are a suitable means of escapism for the general readers because of moderate diction and plenty of vivid imagery.
Sources and Suggested Readings
- A Critical Evaluation of Selected Poems of John Keats - Famous Products - Page 54
- https://sarkariguider.in/keats-as-a-writer-of-odes/
