Ode to a Nightingale: Nature

Question 1

Nature is immoral and exempt from the pains of humanity/ elevated

Crit

Answer 1

That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees
In some melodious plot
Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,
Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
No hungry generations tread thee down;

Kappel says that is not part of temporality because has no awareness of mortality thus that immortal is mindset

Question 2

Nature as refuge / magic/ surrounding/ sensory/ elevation

Answer 2

“I will fly to thee”

tender is the night,

…Queen-Moon is on her throne,
Cluster’d around by all her starry Fays;

I cannot see what flowers are at my feet,
Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs,
But, in embalmed darkness, guess…

“violets musk rose eglantine”

Lau: notes comparison to midsummer night’s dream

Question 3

But nature is separate from humanity

Critic

Answer 3

soft incense hangs upon the boughs,
embalmed darkness
murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves.
Brings him to: “I have been half in love with easeful Death,” which contrasts with the nightingale’s ease
thus death the ultimate downward movement

Jenkins: nature and man are inherently separate

Question 4

Imagination can only take him so far

Answer 4

Forlorn–>
Forlorn! the very word is like a bell
To toll me back from thee to my sole self!
Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well
As she is fam’d to do, deceiving elf.

Crits have often notes associative qualities link to neg cap