Keats's odes
"O for a life of sensations rather than thoughts!" What is the relation between thought and feeling in Keats's odes?Out of all his poetry, the odes appear to be the most sensually explored poems that Keats wrote. Through this collection of poetry he deeply explores the world of feelings and the enjoyment of them as well as the idea of a transient existence. Do the poems, however, show a separation between thoughts and feelings, and what evidence is there that Keats is trying to obtain his wish for a 'life of sensations rather than thoughts'?One of the most striking things about the odes with respect to sensations is the language used. In all of his poems, but especially in the odes, Keats uses highly mimetic language to build upon whatever sensual idea he is trying to portray. In Ode to Psyche there is a seemingly endless use of alliteration. The sibilance of how 'the secrets should be sung' and the 'soft-handed slumber' and the alliteration of 't' in 'these, though temple thou' among with many more examples create an almost dreamlike and transient atmosphere within which to set the poem. This use of alliteration is also found in To Autumn where Keats uses the alliteration of 'm' and 's' to open the poem with 'Seasons
The relevance of using a continued pattern of three is that throughout time, an element of mystery has surrounded the use of threes and it is unequivocally connected the Holy Trinity. This wish, however, could be taken to represent Keats's eagerness to be able to experience sensations without having to think about them. He describes things as they are and although he does not directly but his views down, they are portrayed by the balance. However, while the language and majority of content is moving towards a very sensual scene, some of the topic matter is in reference to thoughts being a way of experiencing some sensations. Keats explores the idea that a period of melancholy is a time when one can be very close to the transient world, enjoying a more immediate experience with nature. Here, like Keats, the lawn is passive yet open to sensual experiences. By the pure nature of using a poem to explore sensations and feelings there is an immediate connection between thoughts and sensations. The main debate, however, is contrary to this and comes in the last two lines of Ode to a Grecian Urn where Keats states that 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty, - that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. However, by explaining and exploring this idea, he is in fact seemingly undermining his stated views. If they were already in his mind, then he would not have to turn them into thoughts. The use of the highly mimetic language found in this poem along with the others seems to contradict his ideas, as the 'three Ghosts' he is trying to get rid off are described in a very sensuous style. One of the most obvious techniques, as already seen Ode to Indolence is that of personification. Throughout this poem there is a preoccupation with the 'immediate' nature of experience. The actual poem is centred on the three personified images of 'Love / The second was Ambition' and then Keats's 'demon Posey'.
Common topics in this essay:
Ode Indolence,
Ode Psyche,
Urn Keats,
Ode Nightingale,
Melancholy Keats,
Grecian Urn,
Melancholy Melancholy,
,
Holy Trinity,
Ambition' Keats's,
grecian urn,
ode nightingale,
ode grecian urn,
ode grecian,
ode psyche,
enjoy sensations,
ternary structure,
human life,
sensations feelings,
sensual world,
sensual experiences,
highly mimetic language,
nightingale grecian urn,
sensations nightingale's song,
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Acceptance Essays
