Compare/Contrast Essay

During the Romantic era in literature, nature was held in high regards. Many times, creators would wander into the forest and find inspiration for their great works there. John Keats was no exception to this rule and took a particular liking to birds. These birds would appear in several of his works, establishing various moods that ranged from very hopeful to extremely melancholy. In On First Looking at Chapman’s Homer, On Seeing the Elgin Marbles and Ode to a Nightingale, John Keats uses the image of the eagle and nightingale to represent his views on the future at different points in his life. When Keats first uses the eagle, he is hopeful and excited for whatever is to come in his life. In 1816, Keats wrote the poem On First Looking at

The Elgin Marbles were a collection of sculptures found in the temple of Parthenon that were removed by the British in the beginning of the 19th century and placed into a museum. This museum is where Keats saw the Greek masterpiece, responding in a very different way than he did to the epic discussed in the previous paragraph. He uses the image of the eagle once more, comparing himself to a “sick eagle looking to the sky” (53). A sick eagle has all the capabilities of exploration and discovery but no means to do it, given that it can no longer fly. When Keats sees that the great Greek temple is slowly disintegrating, he is reminded of his own mortality. This emotion “weighs heavily” on Keats, causing his “spirit” to become “too weak” (53). The Elgin Marbles once stood in glory and awe, representing a time when Greek culture was at its peak and society was thriving. But given that Keats saw it in 19th century Britain, the Greek empire was long past. Keats can see himself and his art in this sculpture, realizing that while he has a lot of great potential and dreams, it will eventually fade away (as will his spirit). He can relate deeply to a sick eagle because the eagle once had the freedom to explore and the joys that come with seeing the world, but now must be reminded of its mortality and has lost its ability to find the joy hidden across the

In Ode to a Nightingale, Keats hears the timeless song of the bird and is instantly reminded of the fact that he will one day die. This revelation instantly brings down the entire tone of the poem, causing Keats to say that even “to think is to be full of sorrow” (34). In the Romantic period, the Nightingale was reveled as a master of poetry because its song has never changed and is still held in high standing. When Keats hears this song, he wonders if he will ever reach that level of greatness. However, because he will soon fade away and fall into death, the beautiful song of the Nightingale sends Keats into a deep depression. He even goes as far as to contemplate suicide, ending the poem with a simple question: “Do I wake or sleep?” (36). This final thought is a drastic change from the revelations that the image of the eagle brought about. While the eagle promised hope and discovery, the Nightingale speaks of death and weariness. And even though his later use of the eagle was more melancholy, the eagle was only sick, meaning that it had hope for recovery and a return to the sky. However, there is no cure for mortality and old age, something that the Nightingale causes Keats to be acutely aware