Anita Kamburova

Assoc. Prof. Kostadinova

English Literature of Romanticism

31 May 2023

The Romantic Unity of Keats' Odes: “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” “Ode on Indolence,” “Ode on
Melancholy,” “Ode to a Nightingale,” and “Ode to Psyche”

In times of great turbulence and change, socially, politically, and culturally, the new era,
later known as Romanticism, became the new token of a movement that turned towards nature
and the domain of interior feelings, firmly standing in opposition against all that the
Enlightenment era stood for. The mannered formalism and the firmly rooted in science
statements, that once were a pinnacle of cultural eloquence, were superseded by imagination,
style, mythology, and that which was considered unconsciousness. Materialistic views were
replaced by idealistic ones; writers and artist turned their gaze toward nature in search of a muse;
subjectivity took over objectivity; and the self-centering “I” became predominant in literature.
The new purpose of art was rather Aristotelian in nature, mimicking the universe. Objectivity,
although less fancied, was found in the form of literary criticism which focused only on the text,
emancipating it from its author. Poets like Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Keats are just a
few that created parallels between their emotional lives in the real world and the emotional
scenery carefully crafted in their poems.

Romanticism is known for its poetry which comes in many forms and styles. To reflect the
values of the era, some poets, like William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge, wrote odes
which are “A formal, often ceremonious lyric poem that addresses and often celebrates a person,
place, thing, or idea.” (“Ode”) Another example of a romantic poet, remembered for their
devotion to imagination, and above all, beauty, was John Keats. He was “known as a pure artist,”
who “saw the appreciation of beauty as an end in itself and made the pursuit of beauty the goal
of his poetry.” (Earle et al. 714)

Despite his untimely death, Keats has left a great mark on the face of English literature. The
majority of his works, which have been deemed as of greatest importance, were composed in the
span of two years. Nonetheless, the stylistic elements, structure, concepts, and motifs

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demonstrate a consistency, emblematic of Keats' literary works. His fascination with beauty is
one of the most symbolic traits of his writing style. Besides beauty, the binary oppositions
between imagination and rationalism, as well as, emotion over reason, are another emblematic
problem that he explores through his poems. Alongside these characteristics, one could see that
the idea of the truth, which is inserted in the imagination, and the ever-present character of nature
play their homage to the mimesis that Aristotle describes. It is evident, that Keats values highly
the idea of the journey, being more important than the destination; ultimately, this adds the
sensation of fluidity to his poems when read. Following these general characteristics of Keats’
work, I can add that intensity is prominently exhibited in his poems and measured in terms of the
reaction that the poems provoke. All of the themes and oppositions, mentioned above, are not
only apparent in Keats’ poems but present specifically in the cluster of five odes: “Ode on a
Grecian Urn,” “Ode on Indolence,” “Ode on Melancholy,” “Ode to a Nightingale,” and “Ode to
Psyche,” which demonstrates the quintessential concern of the romanticists as a whole.

The similarities in themes and psychological development, and reoccurrence of the same
symbols, settings, and images, raise the question, asked by many scholars, of whether these five
odes were written as a cluster, not revoking the perspective of the individuality of each and every
poem. The object of this essay is to examine these similarities and to determine whether or not
there is a possible connection through narrative.

For the sake of this essay, I would examine the five odes mentioned above, as a short,
lyrical form of an epistolary novella. The fact that it is impossible to date which of the five odes
(“Ode on a Grecian Urn,” “Ode on Indolence,” “Ode on Melancholy,” “Ode to a Nightingale,”
and “Ode to Psyche”) was written first, questions the probability of the matter of this
examination; but upon reading all of them, I found that the narratives described in the odes could
be arranged in an order that resembles a consistent storyline, and the list goes in the following
manner: 1) “Ode on Melancholy,” 2) “Ode on Indolence,” 3) “Ode to Psyche,” 4) “Ode to a
Nightingale,” and 5) “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” I put in this particular order not only for the sake
of the presumable storyline but for the gradual, psychological development of the lyrical speaker.

It should be noted that this specific arrangement of the odes is based on creating a
coherent narrative, rather than following their chronological order of composition. With this in
mind, I chose to begin with "Ode on Melancholy." This decision stems from Keats' exploration
 Anita Kamburova, 1903041054

of journeys and the desire to start or end with something distinct from the other five odes. By
combining the journey concept with themes of beauty, love, and nature, it makes sense to start
from a place of mental despair and progress toward a brighter state of mind.

Despite its title, "Ode on Melancholy" has an uplifting tone overall. Keats directly engages the
reader, inviting them to join him on his poetic journey. Unsurprisingly, beauty and pain coexist
in the narrator's world, who is likely the author himself. It's worth noting that the poem originally
had four stanzas; however, the first was deemed too gruesome and might have left a bitter
impression on readers.

At its core, the poem presents a simple structure: beginning with what not to do and proceeding
with what to do. This clear framework offers an accessible understanding of the entire piece.

Keats excels at transforming ominous subjects into vivid artistry. In a literary sense, he can be
compared to a painter using words and imagery as his medium. This is evident when he
addresses melancholy's symptoms—brooding and depression—and reframes them through
mythical figures and legends: "No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist…Your mournful Psyche,
nor the downy owl / A partner in your sorrow’s mysteries;" (Keats, "Ode on Melancholy”, lines
1-8)

The second stanza highlights an attraction to beauty even as one contemplates death. Keats'
fascination with "the cult of Aphrodite" becomes increasingly prominent as it serves as salvation
for the reader's tormented soul. This idea is followed till the end of the poem ending with a sense
of relief.

The next ode for examination is "Ode on Indolence." The mentioned state of delirium at
the beginning of the previous poem shouldn't be forgotten, as it also appears in this second ode.
In "Ode on Indolence," Keats discusses three mysterious figures engraved on an ancient urn.
This vision haunts the narrator until he realizes that these three figures represent Love, Ambition,
and Poetry, which he calls Poesy. Keats builds the entire piece upon the allegories of these three
women, emphasizing his personal connection with them.

“The first was a fair Maid, and Love her name;

The second was Ambition, pale of cheek,

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 And ever watchful with fatiguèd eye;

The last, whom I love more, the more of blame

Is heap’d upon her, maiden most unmeek,—

I knew to be my demon Poesy. “

(Keats, “Ode on Indolence", lines 25-30)

Keats' belief in the sacred power of imagination is evident in both poems. Alongside this
significant theme, he continues to explore nature, never missing an opportunity to envelop
readers in nature's beauty with seemingly healing powers for the soul.

Thus far, the story has a fable-like beginning and proceeds with the protagonist daydreaming
amidst natural beauty while being tormented psychologically. The pattern follows this
established trajectory in the second ode.

The third ode, "Ode to Psyche," transports our protagonist from the delightful utopia and
numbness of indolence into the active realm of imagination. Although still experiencing
everything predominantly in his mind, the narrator is no longer "drunk in indolence" but "sober"
and ready to create. Keats employs imagery and mythology to achieve this effect, masterfully
blending romance and sensory detail. Despite this blissful portrayal, readers can sense an
undercurrent of darkness and sensuality throughout.

“Mid hush'd, cool-rooted flowers, fragrant-eyed,

Blue, silver-white, and budded Tyrian,

They lay calm-breathing, on the bedded grass;

Their arms embraced, and their pinions too;

Their lips touch'd not, but had not bade adieu,

As if disjoined by soft-handed slumber,

And ready still past kisses to outnumber

At tender eye-dawn of aurorean love:

The winged boy I knew;

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But who wast thou, O happy, happy dove?

His Psyche true!”

(Keats, "Ode to Psyche", lines 13-23)

It appears that Keats likes to play with contrast on the level of feeling, which is logical knowing
his love for intensity. Although the feeling of melancholy and nostalgia is eminent throughout
the whole poem, the reoccurring glimmer of hope makes its appearance once more, following the
known pattern described in the previous odes.

Keats enjoys playing with contrasting emotions at a profound level, which aligns with his
love for intensity. Although melancholy and nostalgia pervade the entire poem, a recurring
glimmer of hope emerges once more, following the known pattern established in previous odes.

In "Ode to a Nightingale," the poet's inner world is prominently displayed, reflecting the
interplay between death and beauty, light and darkness. This mirrors Keats' real-life
circumstances as he cared for his dying brother. The nightingale symbolizes beauty, offering
temporary salvation and hope to the protagonist who transitions from the realm of imagination to
the agony of reality. Keats' contempt for reality leaves a metallic taste in the reader's mouth,
reminiscent of coughed blood. However, he finds solace in poetry; much like the protagonist
finds solace in the nightingale's song, transforming it into a symbol of art, happiness, joy, and
freedom. This image contrasts with the depiction of a sick and dying world.

The poem concludes with a question: "Was it a vision or a waking dream? / Fled is that
music:—do I wake or sleep?" (Keats, "Ode to a Nightingale", lines 79-80). The answer lies in the
final poem, "Ode on a Grecian Urn," linking back to the urn mentioned earlier. The narrator
observes an ancient urn so old that it transcends time. He examines its elaborate engravings that
depict various stories. Regardless of their content, the protagonist's key takeaway from this ode
is that these individuals on the urn live in eternal bliss. Untouched by time, they remain eternally
surrounded by beauty. Once again, ethereal images of love and romance juxtapose with stone-
cold immortality. Repeated elements of art, especially sculptures, embody the description of
immortality that the reader is hinted, at but never directly read about, thus playing with the mind
and the senses even more.

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In my opinion, “Ode on a Grecian Urn” puts the final piece of the story that Keats may, or may
not have intended to write between the lines of his final works. Once more, the urn symbol –
static and inanimate – can be considered a protagonist in the story told through the poem.
Immortal, yet an ever-present feeling of death lingers, unlike in the "Ode on Melancholy," where
she was merely a spectator. The theme of the journey is absent, unlike in other odes; however,
symbols of nature, love, and most importantly, beauty, take center stage in the poem. This leads
me to conclude that "Ode on a Grecian Urn" represents death – a silent companion of beauty
according to Keats, who portrays it as a calm sense of salvation rather than something ugly and
disturbing.

In concluding this analysis, I propose that a unifying narrative exists within these odes –
one that parallels Keats' life in a more abstract form rather than a traditional prose narrative.
After all, he is a poet whose lyrical prowess is vividly demonstrated in even his darkest
descriptions. In my opinion, the story gleaned from these five poems encompasses not only the
eternal cycle of life but also Keats' personal journey. The intensity and recurrence of recurring
images, characters, and structures suggest cohesion among these five odes. These poems
powerfully represent not only Keats' perspectives on art and life but also embody typical
romantic values emphasizing individuality, emotion, and passion.
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Works Cited

“Ode.” Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ode. Accessed 28

May 2023.

Earle, Francis, et al. “John Keats.” Prentice Hall Literature: The English Tradition, Second ed.,
Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, , NJ, 1989, p. 714. Prentice Hall Literature.

Keats, John. “Ode on Melancholy.” Poetry Foundation,

www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44478/ode-on-melancholy. Accessed 30 May 2023.

Keats, John. “Ode on Indolence.” Poetry Foundation,

www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52995/ode-on-indolence. . Accessed 30 May 2023.

Keats, John. “Ode to Psyche.” Poetry Foundation,

www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44480/ode-to-psyche. Accessed 31 May 2023.

Keats, John. “Ode to a Nightingale.” Poetry Foundation,

www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44479/ode-to-a-nightingale. Accessed 31 May 2023.