Compare and contrast the themes of nature and mortality in Keats’s “Ode to a Nightingale” and any other poem of your choice. How do these themes manifest differently in the poems? (10 marks)

John Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale" and William Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey" both explore the intertwined themes of nature and mortality, yet they approach these themes from different philosophical perspectives and emotional experiences. In "Ode to a Nightingale," Keats uses nature, symbolized by the nightingale, as an escape from the harsh realities of human life. The nightingale represents an ideal of eternal beauty and joy, a being untouched by the "weariness, the fever, and the fret" that characterize mortal existence. Keats's yearning to "fade away into the forest dim" with the nightingale reflects his desire to transcend the limitations of his mortality and to merge with the timeless, unchanging aspects of nature. However, as critic Harold Bloom notes, Keats ultimately recognizes the futility of this desire, as the nightingale's immortality is an illusion—a projection of the poet's longing rather than a tangible reality.

In contrast, William Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey" presents nature not as an escape from mortality, but as a source of enduring comfort and spiritual renewal. Returning to the Wye Valley after five years, Wordsworth reflects on how nature has provided him with "tranquil restoration" amid the trials of life. Unlike Keats, who sees nature as a temporary refuge from the pain of existence, Wordsworth views nature as a constant, a nurturing presence that helps him reconcile with the passage of time and the inevitability of death. Critic Jonathan Bate observes that Wordsworth's relationship with nature is one of continuity and growth; the natural world is not separate from human experience but is intertwined with it, offering solace and wisdom as the poet ages and confronts his own mortality.

While both poets emphasize the power of nature to evoke deep emotions and provide a sense of meaning, their perspectives on the relationship between nature and mortality diverge significantly. Keats's nightingale symbolizes an idealized escape from death, a fleeting attempt to transcend the limitations of human life through the beauty of nature. However, Keats's return to reality, prompted by the word "Forlorn!" underscores the transient and ultimately unattainable nature of this escape. On the other hand, Wordsworth's approach in "Tintern Abbey" is grounded in a more accepting and integrated view of mortality. Nature, for Wordsworth, is a source of enduring strength and continuity, helping him to find peace in the face of life's inevitable changes.

The differing treatments of nature and mortality in these poems also reflect the broader thematic concerns of the Romantic movement, particularly the tension between the desire for transcendence and the acceptance of human limitations. In "Ode to a Nightingale," Keats's yearning for the eternal and unchanging is a reflection of his struggle with the fragility of life, a theme that pervades much of his work. The nightingale’s song offers a momentary escape, but it also serves as a painful reminder of the poet's mortality. As critic Helen Vendler points out, Keats’s poetry often grapples with the tension between the ideal and the real, the desire to transcend earthly existence and the inescapable truth of human frailty. This tension is evident in the way Keats ultimately acknowledges the impossibility of escaping mortality, despite the allure of the nightingale's immortal song.

Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey", however, reflects a more reconciled view of life and death, where nature provides a sense of continuity and permanence in the face of human transience. Wordsworth does not seek to escape mortality but rather to find a deeper connection with the natural world that transcends individual experience. This connection allows him to draw strength from nature, seeing it as a source of wisdom and spiritual sustenance that endures even as human life passes away. Wordsworth’s more harmonious relationship with nature suggests a more optimistic view of mortality, one that finds meaning and comfort in the cycles of the natural world rather than in a futile attempt to escape them.

In conclusion, the differing ways in which Keats and Wordsworth address the themes of nature and mortality in their poems reflect their individual philosophies and emotional experiences. While Keats seeks to escape mortality through an idealized vision of nature, only to realize its limitations, Wordsworth finds in nature a source of spiritual comfort that helps him to accept and even embrace the passage of time. Both poems underscore the Romantic preoccupation with nature as a mirror of human emotions and a means of grappling with the profound realities of life and death, but they do so in ways that reveal the unique sensibilities of each poet.