Allusion In Ode To A Nightingale

“Ode to a nightingale” Arguably one of John Keats’ most famous poems, “Ode to a nightingale” in and of itself is an allegory on the frail, conflicting aspects of life while also standing as a commentary on the want to escape life’s problems and the unavoidability of death. Keats’ poem utilizes a heavy amount of symbolism, simile and allusion to idealize nature as a perfect, almost mystical, world that holds no problems while using imagery taken from nature, combined with alliteration and assonance, to idealize the dream of escape from the problems life often presents; more specifically, aging and our inevitable deaths by allowing the reader to feel as if they are experiencing the speaker’s experience listening to the nightingale. The poem’s own subject, the nightingale, acts as a continuous symbol throughout the piece. While birds mentioned or placed

Keats places allusions throughout the poem as a way of referencing the mythical essence nature. Full of references to greek mythology, keats’ placement of these allusions reinforces a belief in nature as a perfect and mythical world that promises escape from human frailty. The speaker states in line 16 “ Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene/...that I might drink, and leave the world unseen” . In greek lore the Hippocrene was a sacred spring to muses and was said to inspire poets. By alluding to specific greek mythology Keats reinforces the otherworldly quality of the poem. To a degree, these allusions influence the overall tone of the piece as well, making the poem seem almost dreamlike, which in turn paint nature as being a place to escape the struggles of human existence. Allusions towards drunkenness, or any drugged like state in general, also play an important role in shaping the poem’s meaning. The use of these allusions effectively enhances the idea that art, or more specifically poetry, can take the mind away and become an almost

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