In the first stanza, Keats’s speaker describes a visionhe had one morning of three strange figures wearing white robesand “placid sandals.” The figures passed by in profile, and thespeaker describes their passing by comparing them to figures carvedinto the side of a marble urn, or vase. Each line consisting of ten syllables is in iambic pentameter. CDECDE; in stanza five, CDEDCE; in stanza six, CDECED). When those three figures had faded, the speaker felt a strong urge to be with them. However, some lines are in iambic tetrameter too. In early 1819, Keats left his job in London to completely devote his time to poetry. that the temptations of his indolent morning outweigh the temptations But these four lines change it up a little: "urn" rhymes with "return," and "side" and "more" don't rhyme at all. This poem centers on the concept of a speaker’s indolent thoughts. This fact is accentuated in the odes. “Ode on Indolence” is written in ten-line stanzas, in a relatively Most … In early 1819, Keats left his job in London to completely devote his time to poetry. Here, Keats’ poetic persona is daydreaming about the characters namely Love, Ambition, and Poesy. . Moreover, they had “placid sandals” and were dressed in “white robes.”. To be specific, it is about a poignancy and immobility that hinders one from active pursuits. In the first stanza, Keats’s speaker describes a vision His indolent mind gets puzzled after seeing those figures appearing and vanishing momentarily. The first stanza tells whatnot to do: The sufferer should not “go to Lethe,” or forget theirsadness (Lethe is the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology);should not commit suicide (nightshade, “the ruby grape of Prosperpine,” isa poison; Prosperpine is the mythological queen of the underworld);and should not become obsessed with objects of death and misery(the beetle, the death-moth, and the owl). Moreover, it is about how an indolent speaker sees three figures that he has noticed recently on a vase. "Ode on a Grecian Urn" was written by the influential English poet John Keats in 1819. The others were "Ode on a Grecian Urn", "Ode on Melancholy", "Ode to a Nightingale" and "Ode to Psyche". Here is a list of a few poems that similarly showcase the thematic elements present in John Keats’ ‘Ode on Indolence’. Such a person, or the poet himself, is the speaker of the poem. The poem’s central theme is that the pleasant numbness of indolence which the speaker describes in the opening stanza is far preferable to the briefly intense but ultimately transitory allure of love, ambition and poetry. He thought as he had observed the vase made by the Greek sculptor Phidias he was having a vision of those figures engraved on it. Apart from that, the poet uses a conventional meter scheme in this poem. The work was written during a time when Keats was presumably more than usually occupied with his material prospects. Lastly, the speaker ironically remarks, “Upon your skirts had fallen no tears of mine.” It seems that the poet was again coming back to his senses, leaving those chimeric thoughts behind. They faded, and, forsooth! The poem describes the state of indolence, a word which is synonymous with "avoidance" or "laziness". When the last figure passedby, the first figure reappeared, just as would happen if one turneda vase carved with figures before one’s eyes. Keats uses "Ode to a Nightingale" to explore feelings, particularly the kind of feelings he deems "negative capability." Indolence or laziness is an inclination to lethargy. When shifted round to see the other side; They came again; as when the urn once more. Chronologically, the “Ode on Indolence” was probably the Thereafter, the poet presents the theme of imagination, romanticism, dream, illusion, and self-awareness. From here, the poet expresses his thoughts and observations. John Keats talks about three mysterious figures that he has seen engraved on an ancient urn in this poem, ‘Ode on Indolence’. Three figures wearing white robes and sandals passed by him– looking like figures depicted on the surface of a marble urn. Those three maidens cannot satisfy his thirst as he does not long for “praise.” His mind is like “pet-lamb” observing the sentimental farce enacted by those ghostly figures. So, ye three Ghosts, adieu! Ode on Indolence is one of the important odes of John Keats. We don't know much about the speaker, but we're willing to bet his favorite animal would be the sloth. To understand the reference to those three allegorical figures, one has to read the previous ode, ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’. His lazy mind is responsible for creating this illusion of those transient figures. Moreover, it is about how an indolent speaker sees three figures that he has noticed recently on a vase. first struggle with the problems and ideas of the other odes. He is somehow puzzled by those three allegorical figures. 1. She was followed by “Ambition”. figures why they did not disappear and leave him to this indolent The speaker recounts a morning when three figures appeared to him out of the blue. These four lines are therefore written in "CDEC" rhyme scheme. ‘Ode on Indolence’ is one of the “Great Odes of 1819” written by the second-generation romantic poet John Keats. However, the overall idea of this work is unique and quite different from the previous ode describing the engravings on a Grecian vase. One morning he saw three figures. In this stanza, the speaker remarks that they came to him once more. into the side of a marble urn, or vase. He describes negative capability as a tactic poets use in pursuing a vision even if it leads to confusion or uncertainty rather than a firm declaration. Those thoughts made his “drowsy hour” ripe. Let's keep an eye on that pattern as we go. The first four lines of each stanza form a Shakespearean quatrain. Like all the other odes but “To Autumn” and “Ode to Psyche,” He doesn't understand why they appeared to him this way, without telling him who they were. Although "Ode on Indolence" partakes of the dignity and exalted feeling of the ode form, 1 Keats is able to create a con-versational effect through the freedom he achieves within the form, with varied syntax, enjambment of lines, and changes in the meter itself. , Keats bids adieu to those “three Ghosts.” They cannot raise his head from the “flowery grass. to “steal away, and leave without a task” his “idle days,” and goes In Ode to Indolencethe robed fo… The final word of every other line rhymes. In this section, the poet personifies the morning and the sun as well. A conch is a shell; in other words, Psyche’s ear resembles a shell. In the third stanza, the figures pass by for a third time. I wanted wings: From a man’s little heart’s short fever-fit; At least for me,—so sweet as drowsy noons. We have six ten-line stanzas, and the lines... Speaker. The first four lines of each stanza form a Shakespearean, Moreover, the phrase, “maiden most unmeek” contains a, presents several themes. Keats’ poem ‘Ode on Indolence’ consists of six ten-line stanzas. him raise his head from its pillow in the grass. Whatsoever the poet refers to this vision as “a silent deep-disguisèd plot” that stole away his works and made him idle. Here one can understand the poet’s disappointment in love. This ode, on an abstract idea “Indolence,” is about a speaker who is daydreaming about the three figures noticed on an urn. Thereafter, the speaker tells them to leave and be the “masque-like figures on the dreamy urn.” Using irony, he remarks he has several such visions in store. Therefore, that person yields to fancy to do all the activities imaginatively. However, after coming back to reality, he realizes that love is nothing but folly. Thereafter, employing Miltonic sestet, the poet uses the CDE CDE rhyme scheme in the next six lines. His indolent mind gets puzzled after seeing those figures appearing and vanishing momentarily. While passing each of them glanced at his face for a while. Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia. However, this ode was not published until 1848. 4 By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine; 5 Make not your rosary of yew-berries, 6 Nor let the beetle, nor the death-moth be. Summary Ode on Indolence. I yet have visions for the night. The setting of the poem from this point on is shifted to the poet’s mind. often placed first in the group—an arrangement that makes sense, The poem starts with the epigraph, ‘They toil not, neither do they spin’, inducing an atmosphere of lazy intonations. sunbeams. Sign up to unveil the best kept secrets in poetry, brought to you by the experts, Home » John Keats » Ode on Indolence by John Keats, Discover the best-kept secrets behind the greatest poetry. Here's where you'll find analysis of the poem as a whole, from themes and symbols to key facts. more fully in the other five poems, and seems to portray the speaker’s However, the thought took him into a state of trance. ‘Ode on Indolence’ by John Keats is one of the odes he composed in the spring of 1819. Thereafter, the poet uses a metaphor in a “silent deep-disguisèd plot.” Here, the phrase, “deep-disguisèd” contains alliteration. Thereafter, employing Miltonic sestet, the poet uses the CDE CDE rhyme scheme in the next six lines. Moreover, the phrase, “maiden most unmeek” contains a repetition of the “m” sound. To understand the reference to those three allegorical figures, one has to read the previous ode. Thereafter, in the third stanza of ‘Ode on Indolence’, the speaker remarks they had passed him three times. At the end of this poem, he requests those chimeric figures to fade away and leave him alone with his other dreams. A third time pass’d they by, and, passing, turn’d. again aches to follow them, but he says that the urge is folly: Tho’ in her lids hung the sweet tears of May; The open casement press’d a new-leaved vine. Here, Keats’ poetic persona is daydreaming about the characters namely Love, Ambition, and Poesy. on 19 September 1819. And on 9 June, he told one Miss Jeffrey that ‘the thing I have most enjoyed this year has been writing an ode to Indolence’. My head cool-bedded in the flowery grass; Fade softly from my eyes, and be once more. This ode is the depiction of a transient mood and maybe the description of a half-wakeful vision. Summary and Analysis. Along with that, the first two lines of this stanza contain anaphora. 3. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. is pale-cheeked Ambition; and the third, whom the speaker seems describes three dim figures namely Love, Ambition, and Poesy that appears in the, This poem concerns the theme of indolent. And ached for wings, because I knew the three; The first was a fair Maid, and Love her name; The last, whom I love more, the more of blame. In the last stanza of ‘Ode on Indolence’, Keats bids adieu to those “three Ghosts.” They cannot raise his head from the “flowery grass. The "Ode on Indolence" is one of five odes composed by English poet John Keats in the spring of 1819. . In the letter to George and Georgiana, Keats described his indolence: ‘This is the only happiness; and is a rare instance of advantage in the body overpowering the Mind.’ The ode itself is the least well-known of the six great odes of 1819. He thought as he had observed the vase made by the Greek sculptor Phidias he was having a vision of those figures engraved on it. He writes 10 lines in a stanza with 6 lines per stanza, using iambic pentameter. Here, the poet metaphorically compares the souk to “a lawn besprinkled o’er/ With flowers, and stirring shades, and baffled beams.” In this section, the image connects the human soul with a beautiful garden. Therefore, that person yields to fancy to do all the activities imaginatively. written in that year. Those figures which appear in his imagination are the embodiments of love, ambition, and poesy. It was composed in the spring of 1819, after Like Keats’ work, it also glorifies the role of poetry and poetic imagination. speaker tells the figures they were right to leave, for they had It is one of Keats' best and most significant poems, but it has not gained the interest of readers in the way that his famous "Ode on a Grecian Urn" or "Ode to a Nightingale" have. Thereafter, the speaker tells them to leave and be the “masque-like figures on the dreamy urn.” Using irony, he remarks he has several such visions in store. As none can find true love on earth. Keats again relies on assonance to create a rhythm through repeating vowel sounds, which can be seen in lines such as "O why did ye not melt, and leave my sense." The wherefore? Lastly, the poet reiterates, “Vanish, ye Phantoms!” and expresses his desire to be active again. So, the overall rhyme scheme of the poem is ABABCDECDE. Its composition gave him more pleasure than. Here, the poet refers to the vision. Here is a list of a few poems that similarly showcase the thematic elements present in John Keats’, – This poem is about a lazy butterfly which is similarly daydreaming like the speaker in Keats’ poem. John Keats talks about three mysterious figures that he has seen engraved on an ancient urn in this poem. The hope contained within "Ode on Indolence" is found within the vision he expresses in the last stanza: "I yet have visions for the night/And for the day faint visions there is store." second ode. ‘tuneless numbers’ are verses; this is Keats’s self-deprecating reference to his own work. to love despite himself, is the unmeek maiden, the demon Poesy, or ‘Ode on Indolence’ presents several themes. Note the similarity between this line and the final line of ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ – ‘Was it a vision, or a waking dream? The line, “Pain had no sting, and pleasure’s wreath no flower” is an example of an epigram. Context; Summary and Analysis; Ode on Indolence; Ode to Psyche; Ode to a Nightingale; Ode on a Grecian Urn; Ode on Melancholy; To Autumn; Main Ideas. Their sudden departure made him so excited that he wanted to be a part of their flight. Please log in again. Those figures had bowed necks, joined hands, and interestingly “side-faced.” They stepped together, and each of them was walking one after another. Thereafter the poet uses a personification and says that the “blushful cloud of summer-indolence” had benumbed his eyes. One morning he saw three figures. Thereafter, the poet uses a personal metaphor in “placid sandals.” There is a simile in the line, “They pass’d, like figures on a marble urn.” The last line of the first stanza contains an allusion to the Greek sculptor Phidias. In other words, each section is four lines long and alternates rhyming lines, except for the EE couplet in lines 9 and 10. Whatsoever when the speaker shifted round to see the other side of their faces, they also shifted around. by, the first figure reappeared, just as would happen if one turned Along with that, he thinks ambition springs from self-centered man’s “fever-fit.” So, desire sparks like the fits one encounters while suffering from fever. In the second stanza, the speaker addresses the figures In such an elevated mood, he could not feel the stings of pain nor pleasure. This phrase also contains hyperbole. But in the case of the third one, the poetic, This ode, on an abstract idea “Indolence,” is about a speaker who is daydreaming about the three figures noticed on an urn. Despite its adjusted length, Keats thought the poem to be of a higher quality than "Ode on Indolence", which was not published until 1848, after Keats's death.Structure "Ode on Melancholy" consists of three stanzas with ten lines each.