Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Alexander pope’s father left London in 1700 and shifted to Binfield in Windsor Forest. Pope was 12 years old then and had to stop his formal education. Being a Catholic, his father faced repercussions of the Glorious Revolution after which, Catholics were banned from teaching, learning, attending universities, voting, and holding any public office. A statute was issued that debarred Catholics from living within 16 kilometers of London or Westminster. In London, Alexander Pope hardly had any friends as it was hard for him to get any formal education as all the Catholic schools were illegal while Catholic students weren’t allowed in Protestant schools. While Alexander Pope was facing all this alienation as a child, he realized the importance of solitude at Binfield in Windsor forest where he wrote his first poem titled Ode on Solitude in 1700. Instead of being depressed or having any negative effect, he was optimistic and happy about the then situations in his life.
An Ode is a poem specifically written to a particular individual, object, or feeling. Ode on Solitude is a poem dedicated to the solitude of a person that may occur as an effect of alienation too.
Themes of Ode On Solitude
The themes of the poem include self-sufficient life, natural beauty, happiness in simplicity, fame, and death. The poet suggests that happiness comes from within and as an individual, he is least bothered about what others think about it. He says that happiness is dependent on one’s self-sufficiency and good mental and physical health. An autonomous person with a healthy body and mind doesn’t need much to be happy but a bit of peace, a healthy amount of physical and mental work, and solitary play that he can find in the beauty of nature. Such a happy and satisfied person doesn’t seek fame and popularity in other people’s eyes as it is not a requirement for his happiness. The poet suggests that everyone is alone in his life and one should lead a simple life not bothering what others think about him. The poet suggests that he only desires a life of solitude and peace and would prefer to meet a quiet death, leaving no mourners behind.
Structure of Ode On Solitude
The poem is 20 verses long with five stanzas. Thus, Ode On Solitude is written in five quartets as each stanza is composed of four lines. The rhyming scheme is ABAB and the end-rhyming makes the poem melodious (“ease/please”, “die/lie” and “find/mind.”) However, end-rhyming is a bit less perfect in some instances (bread and shade). The first three lines of each stanza are written with eight syllables while the fourth line of 1st three stanzas is written with four syllables. The last line of the 4th and 5th stanzas is written with five syllables.
The poem begins with Assonance (“Happy the man, whose wish and care”, sound of /e). Consonance has also been used, (“Whose trees in summer yield him shade”, the sound of /s) and
(“Together mixed; sweet recreation”, the sound of t). Alliteration has been used (‘sound’, ‘sleep’, and ‘study’ in line 1 of the 4th stanza and ‘let’ and ‘live’ in line 1 of the 5th stanza.
Pope made use of Caesura too by inserting pauses in the middle of lines with punctuations and/or meter ( “Together mixed; sweet recreation” and “Happy the man, whose wish and care.”) Another important figure of speech used in Ode to Solitude is Anaphora that appears in the first three lines of the second stanza (beginning with ‘Whose’) and first two lines of the fifth stanza (beginning with ‘Thus’). Enjambment, imagery, and metaphor have also been used.
Summary of Ode On Solitude
1st Stanza
Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground.
The poem begins as the poet offers the analogy of an anonymous man who holds a few acres of his own land. This land is his paternal property and thus, solely his own. According to the poet, such a man is happy and the only wish he cares about is to add a few more acres to his parental land. He is satisfied with what he has. Rather than constantly wishing for more and losing his sleep over it, he is content in enjoying free and fresh breaths in his own land.
2nd Stanza
Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.
This man mentioned in the first stanza is happy because he is self-sufficient. He has a flock of cattle that offer him enough milk and he cultivates enough grains from his land. The man owns enough sheep whose flocks offer him enough wool to have his own attire and other clothing. Many trees on his land offer him shade during the summer and he uses the wood of those trees to warm himself with fire during the winter.
3rd Stanza
Blest, who can unconcernedly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away,
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,
The poet says that such a man is blessed as he is free of any burden and tension. Even time fails to bother him as he remains healthy in his body and has peace of mind throughout the year. Being self-sufficient, he is so close to nature, that he becomes a part of it. Hours, days, and years continue to pass while his state of happiness, satisfaction, and serenity remains unchanged. The narrator says that in such a small world of his own which is full of peace of mind and resources to fulfill basic needs, there is absolutely nothing in the world that could disrupt the life of this autonomous man. The poet believes that it is a high blessing.
4th Stanza
Sound sleep by night; study and ease,
Together mixed; sweet recreation;
And innocence, which most does please,
With meditation.
In these lines, the poet offers a peak into the secret of this man’s happiness and good physical and mental health. He enjoys quiet days free of any haphazard and troubles. He works enough to have sound sleep at night and since he has no such desires that could keep him worried and awake, he enjoys that sound sleeps. To maintain his physical strength, the man not only has enough work on his farm, but also he gets ample time to invent new interesting recreational works and plays. For peace of mind, this man meditates and continues to preserve his innocence, free of any greed and malice.
5th Stanza
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.
After describing the perfect life of solitude and peace of that anonymous man and mentioning the positive points of being self-sufficient, the poet expresses his desire to lead a similar life in solitude and quiet. He wishes to remain away from the rat race of the world to gain a name and fame. The poet wishes for a sound life in solitude and quiet unlamented death in such a manner that no one would bother to know how he lived and how he died.
Pope was just 12 years old then and he recently moved from the big busy city of London to Windsor forest where his father had enough land. Instead of being depressed about leaving city life and formal education and being alienated, he was impressed by the natural serenity of Windsor Forest. In the future, the village where he settled with his family was named Popeswood. While Alexander Pope found his ideals in solitude and quiet life, he didn’t stop gaining knowledge and opted for self-education. He not only mastered English but also learned Greek, Latin, Italian, and French. That obviously was his sweet recreation in solitude. And his efforts lead him to the heights of fame that he never desired in the first place.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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