o solitude! if I must thee dwell Keats Flashcards
summary of poem
about if he has to be alone he would rather be alone in his imagination than alone in a busy city. he is imagining himself in nature whilst walking through streets of London showing how powerful the mind is
title
solitude- link to lonliness- ironic as he is surrounded by people
‘I’ - links to romanticism and the self interest
the repetition in the first line reinforces the extent of the solitude that he feels in the city. he feels put of place
‘let it not be among the jumbled heaps of murky buildings.’
1) could be a metaphor for his state of mind in the city
2) jumbled suggests out of place and disorganised which is ironic as industrialisation was supposed to bring organisation and order.
murky buildings links to the romantics opinion on industrialisation and city life.
natures observatory-
medial caesura
observing and being at one with nature links to romanticism and and the sublime.
also giving scientifically/astronomical vibes.
its flowery slopes, it’s rivers crystal swell
alliteration and sibilance - visual imagery of the water running through the hills- presents nature as beautiful and encapsulatiing
also sounds like the flow of the river
natural imagery
‘deers swift leap startles the wild bee from the foxglove bell’
natural imagery- he would enjoy peaceful serenity.
almost the highest bliss of human kind
, when to thy haunts two kindred spirits flee.
‘almost’ adverb shows that he hasn’t reached his peak with human kind yet
bliss- noun usually connotes calm and serenity which is better than jumbled heap of the city.
haunts- noun a place where you visit regularly, frequented place - his imagination. subversion
haunts- literally following him round.
two - ironic as the whole poem is about loneliness.
could be about him and fanny
kindred spirits- symbolic of his relationship with fanny- couldn’t be together- worlds apart.
