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14 LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years EIR May 10, 2019
First published in December 2009 by the Schiller Insti-tute here.
WhenJohnKeatsdiedinRomeonFeb.23,1821,attheageof25,theworldlostoneofthegreatestpoeticgeniusesithadeverknown,andalthoughmuchofwhatwould undoubtedly have been his greatestworkwasunfinished, and as much scattered about in, or onlyhinted at in his letters, his published works containsomeofthegreatesttreasuresinthehistoryofartandthepinna-cle of Classical poetry in theEnglish language—his “GreatOdes.”
Theseworkshavecontinuedtoinspireeverygenerationsincehis death, despite numerouschanges,mostly for theworse,in popular tastes, attesting totheir grounding in universalprinciples of the human spirit.Although volumes have beenwrittenaboutthemindividually,they have been poorly under-stood,preciselyforthatreason.Fortheyweretheproductofonesingle outburst of creativity inthespaceofafewweeksintheSpringof1819,andaretheun-foldingofasinglepoetic idea,like the planets which con-gealed from the revolvingdiscthrownoffbythatprimevalSun.Itwillbethepurposeofthisarticletoexplorethisidea,foritliesatthecenterofthemostprofoundquestionfacingmankind,partic-ularlyintimesofcrisis:Man’smortality,andthecon-flictwithhisimmortalidentity,whichFriedrichSchil-lercalledtheSublime.
Beforelookingatthepoemsthemselves,itiscru-cial,inordertofullycomprehendtheintentgoverningtheircreationasawhole,toknowthatKeatswaspartof
a revolutionary youthmovement, which consciouslyunderstooditselftobechampioningtheviewofManandhisrelationshiptonature,God,andhisfellowmen,thatwasembodiedintheAmericanRevolution,andindeadlyconflictwiththeopposite,oligarchicalview,asrepresented by the reactionary forces arrayed at theCongressofViennain1815.
Thismovement includedKeats, aswell as PercyShelley,LeighHunt,andtheessayistWilliamHazlitt,
among others.The political at-mosphereinwhichtheyworkedwas a brutal, repressive one,reminiscentof theMcCarthyitewitch hunts of the 1950s, di-rectedagainstanyoneespousing“republican”sympathies,whichKeats most emphatically didwith his first widely circulatedpoem,“WrittenOntheDayMr.LeighHunt Left Prison.”Hunthadbeenimprisonedforinsult-ing the Prince Regent and, asoneoftheboldestofthecircleofreformerswhooperatedaphilo-sophical-poetic-political maga-zine, The Examiner, his workhadbecomeanationalcausecé-lèbre.Toopenlyannounceone’ssympathy with him, as Keatsdid, was a declaration of waragainstthemonarchy,andallitstood for. To portray Keats as
merelyasensitive,misunderstoodaesthete, is,onthepartofmostacademicscholars,deliberatelymislead-ing, and obscures the deeper meaning of his greatachievements—fromwhichcomes thepassionwhichdriveshisrelentlessquesttoawakeninothersanaware-nessoftheirownhigher,spiritualnature.
Theprejudicesof theRomanticEra, inwhich thenotion of the separation of Naturwissenschaft andGeistenwissenschaft—ontheonehand,thenaturalsci-
Keats’ Great Odes and the Sublimeby Daniel Leach
William HiltonJohn Keats
(1795-1821)
May 10, 2019 EIR LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years 15
ences,thedomainofReason,deductive,axiomaticsys-tems,andprecise,intelligible,mathematicallanguage;andontheother,theArts,thedomainof“feeling”andarbitrary and subjective personal experience, on theother—continue to distort our perception of Keats’poetrytothisday.Keats,asisapparentinhisletters,hadnosuchideaabouthisownwork,andwas,infact,strivingforaunifiedconceptofthehumanpsychethatcomprehendedman’sheartandmind,andhisrelation-shiptoallofmankind,past,present,andfuture.
For All Mankind To See that BeautyThis fundamentally moral question was at the
centerofthepoliticaldebatethatragedinthesalonsandacrossthepagesoftheleadingliteraryjournalsoftheday.Aman’spoliticsweredeterminedbyhisviewsandtastesinart,poetry,andmusic;inwhetherhegloriedintheformal,lifeless,impersonalartandinstitutionsofRome,orthefreeandopenspirit of discovery of Classical Greece; inwhetherheupheldtheendlesslycynicalsoph-istryoftheAugustanpoetryofAlexanderPopeandJohnDryden,orthepassionaterepublican-ismofWilliamShakespeareandJohnMilton;whether he adopted the view of John Locke,EdmundBurkeandtheFrenchempiricists,thatmaniscapableonlyofknowingwhathissensestellhimand is thereforeessentiallyananimalandnaturally selfishandevil,or thatofGott-friedLeibniz,andFriedrichSchiller,thatmanisessentiallyofaspiritualnature,partakingofthesamequalityofcreativityasthatuniversalprin-ciple Christians call God, and therefore, essentiallygood.
WhatisremarkableaboutthisperiodinEngland,istheopennessofthisdebateandthetransparencyofitspoliticalramifications.TheFrenchRevolutionhaddem-onstratedthebloodyconsequencesofunleashingtheruleofthemob,uneducatedandactingonlyonits“natural”instinctsandanimal-likepassions.Yetthereactionaryinstitutionsofthemonarchy,thelandedandfinancialoligarchy,andtheStateChurch,hadreactedbybrand-inganyattemptatreformas“revolutionist,”andthere-fore, threatening theveryexistenceofsociety. Infact,bothsidesofthedebatewerecontrolled—notonlyhadBritishagentsprecipitatedtheReignofTerrorinFrance,1
1. Forafullerdiscussionofthis,seePierreBeaudry,“WhyFranceDidNotHaveanAmericanRevolution,”EIR,Vol.29,No.2,Jan.18,2002.
and the reaction to it, but the underlying philo-sophical premises of both sides were the same,namelythatmanisabeast,andmusteitheracceptrulebythestronger,orbydivineright,oroverthrowthis rule on behalf of the supposed right of unre-stricted“freedom”topursuehisselfish,animal-likeinterest.
Thatthelattercoursewillultimatelyendinanevenmorebrutalandrepressivedictatorship,is,ofcourse,thesecretofthiswholegame,andtheissuethatrepub-licansofthiscircleknewtheymustsomehowaddress.ItistheissuewhichSchilleraddressedinhisLetters on the Aesthetical Education of Man:
True is it, the reputeofopinion is fallen,ca-price is unmasked, and, although still armed
with power, yet it obtains no more dignity;man is aroused from his long indolence andself-deception,andwithanemphaticmajorityhe demands the restoration of his inalienablerights.Buthedothnotmerelydemandthem,onthat side and this side he rises up, to take byforce,whatinhisopinioniswrongfullydeniedhim.The edifice of the natural state rocks, itswornoutfoundationsgiveway,andaphysicalpossibilityseemsgiven, toplace the lawuponthethrone,tohonormanfinallyasanendinhim-selfandtomaketruefreedomthebasisofpoliti-cal union.Vainhope!Themoral possibility iswanting;andthegenerousmomentfindsanun-responsivepeople.
HowKeatsdecidedtoconfrontthisproblemis,al-
Friedrich Schiller
16 LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years EIR May 10, 2019
thoughnotexplicitlystated,verysimilar toSchiller.UnlikeShelley,whowagedafierceandovertlypoliti-calpolemicinhisprosewritingsandhispoems,Keats,likeSchiller, felt that only byworking on the innerbeing, the emotions, could the artist produce thatdesirefortheGood,thatlongingforallmentoseethepotentialbeautyresidingintheirownsoulswhichistheessenceoftrueanddurablepoliticalfreedom.Thisineffableprinciple,whichtheBiblecalls“agapē,”orlove, and theAmerican Constitution invokes as theconcernfortheGeneralWelfareofpresentandfuturegenerations, cannot be inculcated as a doctrine, ormerelydemandedasasocialduty,asKantasserted,forunlessitisembeddedintheindividual’semotionalidentity, becoming, so to speak, “instinctive,” thelower, selfish, animal-like emotions can always beprovoked, particularly in times of great crisis andstress.
The Personal and the PhilosophicalBefore turning to the question of howKeats ap-
proachedthisissueintheodesthemselves,itisindis-pensabletobrieflyconsiderthepersonalfactorsinhislife,which shapednot onlyhis overall philosophicaloutlook,butalsohisemotionalrelationshiptothemis-sionthatwashispoeticart.
Creativediscoverieswhichchangethedirectionofmankind’sknowledge,thereforeadvancinghispowerintheuniverse,neveroccursolelyasthesumofvariousinfluences,inadeterministicway,butarespurredbyanintention, a gripping passion in an individual humansoul,which,althoughitembodiesthesumtotalofalltheideasfromallofthegenerationsofmankindwhichcombinedtoproduceit,neverthelesscanmakeanabso-lutelyuniquecontributionofpotentiallyinfiniteconse-quencefortheuniverseasawhole.So,althoughKeatswasclearlythinkingalongtheselinesfromhisearliestforays into poetic composition,2 it was not until theeventsof1818-1819inhispersonallife,thathemadethedecision todedicatehimself fully tohismission,despite theconsequences forhimself.The resultwastheodes.
Besides the longing for immortality, the sense ofdwellinginthetimelessrealmofbeauty,that,forKeats,was embodied in Classical Greek sculpture, and the
2. Keats’ first published poem, “On First Looking into Chapman’sHomer,” exemplifies this connectionbetween the individual creativediscoveryandtheuniverseasawhole.
philosophyofPlato thatsoenrapturedhim, theotherthingaboutwhichKeatswaspassionatewasLove—thatdirect and intimate connection to, and sympathywith, another human being, which was, for him, asacredthing.Alsosacredtohimwashisrelationshiptohisbrothers.Yethissenseofthefleetingnatureofthesephysicalconnectionswasimpresseduponhissoulearlyandquiteviolently, forhis fatherdied inanaccidentwhenhewasachild;hismotherdiedoftuberculosiswhenhewas inhis teens;and then, in theWinterof1818,afterhisbrotherGeorgehademigratedtoAmer-ica,hisotherbrother,Tom,alsodiedof tuberculosis,virtuallyinhisarms.
Keats struggledmightilywith feelings of despairandvictimizationthatwouldhavecrushedlessersouls,butmuchasdidBeethoveninhis“HeiligenstadtTesti-ment,”inwhichhecommittedhimselftocontinuehiscreativelifedespitethedevastatingknowledgeofhisimpending, totaldeafness,outofpureagapic loveofmankind,Keatsfoundareserveofmoralstrengthwhichis the very essence of the sublime quality expressedlaterintheodes.Thisstrugglecanbeseeninanuntitledsonnetcomposedaroundthis time,knownsimplyas,“WhenIHaveFears.”
When I Have FearsWhenIhavefearsthatImayceasetobeBeforemypenhasgleanedmyteemingbrain,Beforehigh-piledbooks,incharacteryHoldlikerichgarnersthefullripenedgrain,WhenIbeholduponthenight’sstarr’dfaceHugecloudysymbolsofahighromance,AndthinkthatImayneverlivetotraceTheirshadowswiththemagichandofchance,AndwhenIfeel,faircreatureofanhour,ThatImayneverlivetoseetheemore,NeverhaverelishinthefaeriepowerOfunreflectingLove—thenontheshoreOfthewideworldIstandaloneandthink,’TilLoveandFametonothingnessdosink.
Inthispoem,wesee,asifingermform,whatwouldlaterunfoldinfullbloominhisgreatodes:thestrugglewithmortalconcernsoffame,worldlynotionsofac-complishment,andtheanxious,insistentdrivetocreateandpossess ideasalmostasobjects,expressed in thefirst four lines; and the reverent sense ofmystery inbeingthevehiclefortheunseenprinciplesofwhichthe
May 10, 2019 EIR LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years 17
visualimagesweseearemerelythe“symbols,”expressedinthesecondquatrain. Here are the elements ofthat creative tension, that restivestriving towards somethingeternal,whichwe can never fully know inmortallife,butonlyseeareflectionof, in the paradoxes of our experi-ence, which Keats later focuseduponanddroveoverthethresholdofthe sublime.And here we see thatcharacteristicemotionalconnection,at once intensely personal, and yetuniversal, which carries us, as itwere,overwithhim.
The“turn”ofthissonnet,begin-ningwith,“AndwhenIfeel,”couldbeaddressedtoone“faircreatureofan hour” or, for thatmatter, all creatures, all humanbeings.Theagonizing senseof thefleetingnatureofanyhumanrelationship,yetthepassionassociatedwiththeideaof“unreflectinglove,”anunquestioning,un-conditional,pureandidealkindoflove,createsamel-ancholy, yet strangely uplifting effect on us. WhenKeats then“standsupon theshoreof thewideworldalone,”he,andwewithhim,canseethenowseeminglypettyconcernsof“love”and“fame,”thoughtofintheirmundanesense,indeedsinkintonothingness.Itisasiftheveryprocessofconfrontingmortality,yetrelishingeventhefleetingreflectionoftheimmortalinthevisi-bleworld,createstheemotionalenergytobreakthroughtoahigherstateoftruespiritualfreedom.Schillerdis-cusses just this phenomenon in his essay, “On theSublime”:3
Thefeelingofthesublimeisamixedfeeling.Itisacombinationofwoefulness,whichexpressesitselfinitshighestdegreeasashudder,andof
3. BeforeSchillerwrote“OntheSublime,”whichitisdoubtfulKeatsever read, themost influentialwritingson thesubject,at least in themodernperiod,werebyEdmundBurkeandImmanuelKant.AlthoughitisusefultocomparethemethodologicalapproachesofSchiller,ontheonehand,andKantandBurkeontheother,itisimportanttonotethatbothBurkeandKantstartfromtheassumption,largelybasedonJohnLocke,thatmancanonlyknowwhatsimplesenseperceptiontellshim,andthenonlybasejudgementsonthisinformationaccordingtowhetheritproducespleasureorpain.WilliamHazlitt,acontemporaryandfriendof Keats, thoroughly demolished this view in his commentaries onMadameDeStael’s“ThePoetryandPhilosophyofGermany,”inthesectiononKant.
joyfulness,whichcanriseuptoenrapture,and,althoughitisnotproperly pleasure, is yetwidelypreferred to every pleasure byfinesouls.Thisunionoftwocon-tradictorysentimentsinasinglefeeling proves our moral inde-pendence in an irrefutablemanner. For as it is absolutelyimpossibleforthesameobjecttostandintwooppositerelationstous, sodoes it follow therefrom,that we ourselves stand in twodifferent relations to the object,so that consequently two oppo-sitenaturesmustbeunitedinus,whichare interested in thecon-ceptionofthesameincompletely
oppositeways.Wethereforeexperiencethroughthefeelingofthesublime,thatthestateofourminddoesnotnecessarilyconformtothestateofthesenses,thatthelawsofnaturearenotneces-sarilyalsothoseofours,andthatwehaveinusanindependentprinciple,whichisindependentofallsensuousemotions.
After his brother Tom died in November 1818,Keatswentintoaperiodofdepression,self-doubt,andlassitude,inwhichheabandonedhisgreat,unfinishedepic poem, “Hyperion,” and wrote almost nothing.Afterseveralfitsandstartsandafewcompletedpoems,Keatshadanepiphanywhichproducedoneofthegreat-est creative outpourings in literary history. By whatthoughtprocessthiscameabout,islargelyamystery,but the results themselves are the footprints of thisthought-object,whichwecanreconstruct inourownmindsbyworkingthroughtheodesasanorderedpro-cess.
Althoughtherehasbeenagreatamountofdebateinacademiccirclesastothechronologicalorderinwhichtheywerewritten,itisalargelyirrelevant,ifnotdown-rightsillymatter,forwhentakenintheirnatural,con-ceptualorder,theypresentanunfoldingidea,muchlikethemovementsofamusicalcomposition,whichisevi-dentfromtheircontentalone.FromKeats’letters,wedoknow,atleast,thatthe“OdetoPsyche”wasthefirstonehewrote,andthathewroteitinthespringof1819.In it he clearly announces his dedication to a sacredmission:
Joseph SevernTom Keats
18 LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years EIR May 10, 2019
Ode to PsycheOgoddess!Hearthesetunelessnumbers,wrungBysweetenforcementandremembrancedear,AndpardonthatthysecretsshouldbesungEvenintothineownsoft-conchedear:SurelyIdreamttoday,ordidIseeThewingedPsychewithawaken’deyes?Iwander’dinaforestthoughtlessly,And,onthesudden,faintingwithsurprise,Sawtwofaircreatures,couchedsidebysideIndeepestgrass,beneaththewhisp’ringroofOfleavesandtrembledblossoms,wherethereranAbrooklet,scarceespied:’Midhush’d,cool-rootedflowers,fragrant-eyed,Blue,silver-white,andbuddedTyrian,Theylaycalm-breathingonthebeddedgrass;Theirarmsembraced,andtheirpinionstoo;Theirlipstouch’dnot,buthadnotbadeadieu,Asifdisjoinedbysoft-handedslumber,AndreadystillpastkissestooutnumberAttendereye-dawnofauroreanlove:ThewingedboyIknew;Butwhowastthou,Ohappy,happydove?HisPsychetrue!
OlatestbornandloveliestvisionfarOfallOlympus’fadedhierarchy!FairerthanPhoebe’ssapphire-region’dstar,OrVesper,amorousglow-wormofthesky;Fairerthanthese,thoughtemplethouhastnone,Noraltarheap’dwithflowers;Norvirgin-choirtomakedeliciousmoanUponthemidnighthours;Novoice,nolute,nopipe,noincensesweetFromchain-swungcenserteeming;Noshrine,nogrove,nooracle,noheatOfpale-mouth’dprophetdreaming.
Obrightest!thoughtoolateforantiquevows,Too,toolateforthefondbelievinglyre,Whenholywerethehauntedforestboughs,Holytheair,thewater,andthefire;Yeteveninthesedayssofarretir’dFromhappypieties,thylucentfans,FlutteringamongthefaintOlympians,Isee,andsing,bymyowneyesinspir’d.Soletmebethychoir,andmakeamoan
Uponthemidnighthours;Thyvoice,thylute,thypipe,thyincensesweetFromswingedcenserteeming;Thyshrine,thygrove,thyoracle,thyheatOfpale-mouth’dprophetdreaming.
Yes,Iwillbethypriest,andbuildafaneInsomeuntroddenregionofmymind,Wherebranchedthoughts,new-grownwithpleasant
pain,Insteadofpinesshallmurmurinthewind:Far,fararoundshallthosedark-cluster’dtreesFledgethewild-ridgedmountainssteepbysteep;Andtherebyzephyrs,streams,andbirds,andbees,Themoss-lainDryadsshallbelull’dtosleep;AndinthemidstofthiswidequietnessArosysanctuarywillIdressWiththewreath’dtrellisofaworkingbrain,Withbuds,andbells,andstarswithoutaname,WithallthegardenerFancye’ercouldfeign,Whobreedingflowers,willneverbreedthesame:AndthereshallbefortheeallsoftdelightThatshadowythoughtcanwin,Abrighttorch,andacasementopeatnight,ToletthewarmLovein!
KeatshadreadthatthegoddessPsychewasaddedtotheGreekPantheonatamuchlatertimethanthean-cient gods who had been worshipped from the timebeforeHomer.Sinceshewasabeautifulmortalwhowasmadeimmortal,incurringthewrathandjealousyofHera,thewifeofZeus,andundergoingallmannerofpersecution, but ultimately overcoming it, and sinceshedidrepresentthehumansoul,withitsrootsinmor-tality,butitsdestinyinimmortality,shewasanirresist-iblepoeticsubjectforKeats.Althoughheisoftencriti-cized for an excessive sentimentality, for using suchphrasesas“faintingwithsurprise,” it ispreciselythepassionwithwhichKeatsapproachesthisidealobject,andhisreactiontohisowndiscovery,thatistheessenceofthematterheisplacingbeforeus.
Afterfirst establishing the settingand the“poeticdevice” of the poem—and accidental discovery ofCupidandPsycheasleepinanembracewhichisatoncefullofwarm,humanpassion,yetsomehowinsuspen-sion,unrealized—Keatsquicklygetstohisrealsubject;hisownmindanditsreactiontothisdiscovery.Inhisletters,Keatsspokeofaconcepthecalled“thegreeting
May 10, 2019 EIR LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years 19
ofthespirit,”4withitsobject,asthe real subject of poetry—theactiveparticipationofthehumanmind with the objects of thesensesasthetruesubstanceofex-perience.
Keats here, after creating apowerfulsenseoflongingforthisbeautifulimageofagoddesswhoneverreceivedthereverenceanddevotionoftheoldgods,thenan-nounces this “greeting of thespirit”with the line, “I see, andsing,bymyowneyes inspir’d,”the real “turn”of thispoem.Hethenrepeats the refrain fromthesecondstanza,“nolute,nopipe,...”etc.,nowofferinghimselfasthepriestwhowillinspirethere-ligiousdevotiontoPsyche,anditisasifafloodofcreativityisun-leashedbythisact.
Whatfollowsisoneofthemostlyricalandliterally“flowery,” yet profound descriptions of the creativeprocessinallofpoetry.Hestrikesaperfectbalancebe-tweentheuntamednaturalbeautyofthephysicalworldandthecreationsofthehumanmind;betweentheap-parent,staticperfectionofnature,andthebeautywhichwe,withthepoweroftheimagination,canadd,likea“gardener...breedingflowers.”
HeconcludeswiththedoubleimageofcreatingthisbeautifulworldasanactofloveforPsyche,butalsohisownheart,likeatorchinvitingthe“warmLovein”—incomplete openness to new experience, new passion,andnewcreativegrowthanddevelopment.Sowehavehereaunionofintellect,imaginationandheart,whichleaves us open to a process of endless change andgrowth,yetexpressedwithsuchgraceandsimplicitythat we hardly notice the profound discovery whichKeatsisreporting,andthemissionheisannouncing,whichwouldunfoldinhissubsequentodes.
The Creative TensionKeats now had the “thought object” before his
mind’seyewhichheknewhehadtosomehowmake
4. RobertGittings,Letters of John Keats (OxfordUniversity Press,1970),LettertoGeorgeKeats,Feb.14-May3,1819.
palpableinthemindofhisaudi-ence:thegreatnessandbeautyoftheindividual,creativesoulasitstruggles through the paradoxesofitsmortalexistencetofinditstrue,immortalidentity.ThiswasforKeats, as itwas forSchiller,the highest calling of Art, toinduce the awareness of thisgreatnesssleepingwithin,andthetension, and even conflict, be-tweenitandallthatissensual,ac-cidentalortemporal.ThisiswhatSchiller called the Sublime. Inone of his letters, Keats usedquasi-religious poetic metaphortoexpressthesameidea:
The common cognomen ofthis world among the mis-guidedandsuperstitiousis“a
valeoftears”fromwhichwearetoberedeemedbyacertainarbitrary interpositionofGodandtaken toHeaven—What a little circumscribedstraightenednotion!Calltheworldifyouplease“ThevaleofSoul-making.”Thenyouwillfindouttheuseoftheworld(IamspeakingnowinthehighesttermsforhumannatureadmittingittobeimmortalwhichIwillheretakeforgrantedforthepurposeofshowingathoughtwhichhasstruckmeconcerningit)Isay“soul-making”—Soulasdistinguishedfromanintelligence.Theremaybeintelligencesorsparksofthedivinityinmillions—buttheyarenotSoulstilltheyacquireidentities,tilleachoneispersonallyitself.Intel-ligences are atoms of perception—they knowand see and they are pure, in short, they areGod—howthenareSoulstobemade?HowthenarethesesparkswhichareGodtohaveidentitygiventhem—soasevertopossessablisspecu-liartoeachone’sindividualexistence?How,butbythemediumofaworldlikethis?ThispointIsincerelywish toconsiderbecause I think it agrander systemof salvation than the chrystianreligion—or rather it is a systemof spirit-cre-ation—Thisiseffectedbythreegrandmaterialsacting the one upon the other for a series ofyears—These three Materials are the intelli-
Joseph SevernGeorge Keats
20 LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years EIR May 10, 2019
gence—thehumanheart(asdistinguishedfromintelligenceormind)andtheworldorelementalspacesuitedfortheproperactionofMindandHeartoneachotherforthepurposeofformingtheSoulor Intelligencedestined toposses thesenseofIdentity.
—Letter to George Keats, February 1818
Thiscreativetensionbetweentheideal,theeternal,theOne,andtheconcrete,particularrealityofsensualexperience,wastobethevery“fuel”whichKeatsusedtobridge thechasmandachieve, in the laterodes, awholenewpoeticlevel,ahigher“power.”Butfirst,heknewhehadtodealwiththehumanfoiblesthatblocktheemotionstothekindofpassionrequiredtomakethatjourney.Hedidso,fromtwodifferentstandpointsin “Ode on Indolence,” and “Ode on Melancholy.”Whetherheactuallywrotetheselater,after“OdetoaNightingale”and“OdeonaGrecianUrn,”isreallyim-material,astheirthoughtcontentclearlyprecedes,psy-chologicallythelattertwo,evenifwrittenlatertoeluci-date that thought process, in hindsight. So, we shallconsiderthemfirst.
Ode on Indolence“They toil not, neither do they spin”
IOnemornbeforemewerethreefiguresseen,Withbowednecks,andjoinedhands,side-faced:Andonebehindtheotherstepp’dserene,Inplacidsandals,andinwhiterobesgraced;Theypass’d,likefiguresonamarbleurn,Whenshiftedroundtoseetheotherside;Theycameagain;aswhentheurnoncemoreIsshiftedround,thefirstseenshadesreturn;Andtheywerestrangetome,asmaybetideWithvases,toonedeepinPhidianlore.
IIHowisit,Shadows!thatIknewyenot?Howcameyemuffledinsohushamask?Wasitasilentdeep-disguisedplotTostealaway,andleavewithoutataskMyidledays?Ripewasthedrowsyhour;TheblissfulcloudofSummer-indolenceBenumb’dmyeyes;mypulsegrewlessandless;Painhadnosting,andpleasure’swreathnoflower:O,whydidyenotmelt,andleavemysenseUnhauntedquiteofallbut—nothingness?
IIIAthirdtimepass’dtheyby,and,passing,turn’dEachonethefaceamomentwhilestome;Thenfaded,andtofollowthemIburn’dAndach’dforwingsbecauseIknewthethree;ThefirstwasafairMaid,andLovehername;ThesecondwasAmbition,paleofcheek,Andeverwatchfulwithfatiguedeye;Thelast,whomIlovemore,themoreofblameIsheap’duponher,maidenmostunmeek,—IknewtobemydemonPoesy.
IVTheyfaded,andforsooth!Iwantedwings:Ofolly!Whatislove!andwhereisit?AndforthatpoorAmbition!itspringsFromaman’slittleheart’sshortfever-fit;ForPoesy!—no,—shehasnotajoy,—Atleastforme,—sosweetasdrowsynoons,Andeveningssteep’dinhoniedindolence;O,foranagesoshelter’dfromannoy,ThatImayneverknowhowchangethemoons,Orhearthevoiceofbusycommon-sense!
VAndoncemorecametheyby;—alas!wherefore?Mysleephadbeenembroider’dwithdimdreams;Mysoulhadbeenalawnbesprinkledo’erWithflowers,andstirringshades,andbaffledbeams:Themornwasclouded,butnoshowerfell,Tho’inherlidshungthesweettearsofMay;Theopencasementpress’danew-leav’dvine,Letinthebuddingwarmthandthrostle’slay;Oshadows!’twasatimetobidfarewell!Uponyourskirtshadfallennotearsofmine.
VISo,yethreeGhosts,adieu!YecannotraiseMyheadcool-beddedintheflowerygrass;ForIwouldnotbedietedwithpraise,Apet-lambinasentimentalfarce!Fadesoftlyfrommyeyes,andbeoncemoreInmasque-likefiguresonthedreamyurn;Farewell!Iyethavevisionsforthenight,Andforthedayfaintvisionsthereisstore;Vanish,yePhantoms!frommyidlespright,Intotheclouds,andnevermorereturn!
Keatshadoftenspokenofhis“boutsofindolence,”notasanordinarysortoflaziness,butasanalmosttran-scendentalsortofpassivity,andopennesstopureexpe-rience,unmediatedbyconventionalthought.Hesome-
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timesfeltthat,inthesemoments,hisapprehensionofessential ideaswas so pure, so beyond theworld ofcommonplacereasoning,thatanyattempttoconfineittoadeductivesystem,suchaslanguage,wasalmostasacrilege.And, aswe saw in “When I Have Fears,”Keatswashighlyself-criticalandwaryofhisownin-tentionsregardingfameandlove,soheherepersonifiesthemandsetstheminconflictwiththispureandidealstateofmind,whichheplayfullychoosestocall“indo-lence.”
Theparadoxofthispoemisalreadycontainedintheinscriptionbeneaththetitle;itisfromMatthew,6:28,andreferstoJesusadmonishinghisdisciplesnottobeundulyattachedtotheconcernsofeverydaylife:“Con-sidertheliliesofthefield....”Itisnotthatwecancom-pletelyignorethosethingswhicharethenecessarycon-sequence of our mortal nature, but if our sense ofidentityislocatedinthem,wecanneverfullyidentifywithourtrue,divinenature—“Forwhereyourtreasureis,therewillyourheartbe,also.”
Here,Keatsishauntedbythreeghostlyshapesrep-resenting Love, Ambition, and, ironically, “Poesy,”whichheportraysasattemptingtoseducehimoutofhisblissful indolence,where“Painhadnosting,andpleasure’swreathnoflower,”andit isherethatmostloversofKeats’poetrybegin toexperiencea tensionwhichattends theparadoxhe is confrontinguswith.For how could he consider “poesy”—Poetry—hisdivine calling, a demon which tempts and threatenssomehow to corrupt him, alongwith love and ambi-tion?IsKeatsmerely,assomesuggest,havingaself-indulgent fit of existential desire for nothingness, orpsychologicaldeath,orescapefromreality?Or isheseekingsomethinghigher?
Theanswertothesequestionslies,inasense,out-sideof theelementsof theparadox,asall truemeta-phors do. In stanzas IV andV,Keats draws out andallowsthefullweightofthetwosidesoftheparadoxtobefullyfelt.Heclearlyrejectsloveandambition,con-sideredasattachmentstomortalthings,inphrasessuchas“man’slittleheart’sfever-fit”and“thevoiceofbusycommon-sense,”contrastingthemtoatimelessoreter-nalstate,“shelter’dfromannoy,”whereonemay“neverknowhowchangethemoons.”Butstill,whatofPoesy?Whyrejecther,too?Perhapsheissomehow,inutterlyrejectingall“normal,”conventionalmotives,defining,oratleastintimatingahighernotionofthiscalling.
LookatwhathedoesinstanzaV;theytempthim
once more, but something has changed—a serenitywhichisatoncepassiveandreceptive,yetfullofapo-tential creative energy, ready to unleash new beautyfromtheunionofitselfwithNature,yethunginsus-pension,notreadyorneedingto,yet.Thereissome-thingcompletelyfreeinthispassage,thatistheshadoworfootprintofaprocessthatKeatsstruggledthroughinreallife.Hedid,infact,rejectfameandriskedalifeofpovertytofollowhiscreativegenius,andherejectedtheallureofacommonplacesortofrelationshipwithFannyBrawne,5inordertopursuehismissionunhin-dered.Thiscouragetolocatehisidentitysolelyinhiscreative self, enables him to then confidently predictthathehas,fromwithinhimself,“visionsforthenight,Andforthedayfaintvisionsthereisstore.”
Thereisadistinctfeelingoffreedom,eventriumph,in this last stanza, confirming for us thatKeats had,indeed, made a psychological break from his owndemonsandcouldnow,withanew-foundcourage,gotothenextlevelandchallengehimself,andus,togotherewithhim.Theultimateironyof“Indolence”is,ofcourse,thatKeatsneitherbecameindolent,noraban-donedPoetry,asa“literal”readingmightsuggest,butplunged into the thorniestandmostdifficultofpara-doxeswithopennessandhonesty,relyingonlyonthecertaintyofthisideawhichisadefinite,yetundefined“thoughtobject,”arisingoutoftheprocesshejustun-derwent.Thishedidinthe“OdeonMelancholy.”
Ode on MelancholyI
No,no,gonottoLethe,neithertwistWolf’sbane,tight-rooted,foritspoisonouswine;Norsufferthypaleforeheadtobekiss’dBynightshade,rubygrapeofProsperpine;Makenotyourrosaryofyew-berries;Norletthebeetle,northedeath-mothbeYourmournfulPsyche,northedownyowlApartnerinyoursorrow’smysteries;Forshadetoshadewillcometoodrowsily,Anddrownthewakefulanguishofthesoul.
5. Keats,evenbeforehisfinal illness,hadacomplicated,andmuchtheorizedabout,relationshipwithFannyBrawne.Althoughobviouslycaptivatedbyherphysicalcharms,andenjoyingacertainintellectualrapportwithher,henevertheless regardedmarriage,or anyconstantdomesticarrangement,asahindrancetohisabilitytowrite,andseveraltimesbanishedhimselffromherpresenceforthisreason.
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IIButwhenthemelancholyfitshallfallSuddenfromheavenlikeaweepingcloud,Thatfostersthedroop-headedflowersall,AndhidesthegreenhillinanAprilshroud;Thenglutthysorrowonamorningrose,Orontherainbowofthesaltsand-wave,Oronthewealthofglobedpeonies;Orifthymistresssomerichangershows,Emprisonhersofthand,andletherrave,Andfeeddeep,deepuponherpeerlesseyes.
IIIShedwellswithBeauty—Beautythatmustdie;AndJoy,whosehandiseverathislipsBiddingadieu;andachingPleasurenigh,TurningtoPoisonwhilethebee-mouthsips:Ay,intheverytempleofdelightVeil’dMelancholyhasherSovranshrine,Thoughseenofnonesavehimwhosestrenuous
tongueCanburstJoy’sgrapeagainsthispalatefine;Hissoulshalltastethesadnessofhermight,Andbeamonghercloudytrophieshung.
Here, Keats turns from addressing himselfandaskingustowitnesstheresult,asin“Psyche”and “Indolence,” to directly address you, thereader.Heseemstobesaying,yes,thehumanconditionisfraughtwithaninescapablemelan-choly; a consciousness of some unattainableperfectionofwhichallexperiencefallsshort,theinevitable passing of every state of temporalhappiness, pains, disappointments, and, ofcourse, the ultimate “bummer,” death—yet,don’ttrytosuppressthefullimportofthisex-cruciatingparadoxofhumanexistence,don’ttrytoescapeit—embraceit!This,ofcourse,goesagainst every instinct of particularly today’sBabyBoomer-dominatedculture,whichavoidsthis issue as an axiomaticmatter of principle;“Don’tgothere!”ButKeatsknowswemustgothereifwearegoingtodiscoveranything.
WhatKeatsdoesinthesecondstanzaissome-thing thatmustbesimplyexperiencedwith theheartandspirit.Letthefullweightofmelancholycontainedintheseimagesofbrieflyglorious,yetpassingbeautysinkin.Thenfeelthefullimportofincluding even one’s own beloved—another
humanbeing—inthissadprogression.Keatssaysagain,no,don’trunfromit—savorit!Istherenotsomethingrichly satisfying in that, despite the knowledge, as hemakesclearinthefirstfourlinesofstanzaIII,thatittoowillpass?Istherenotsomethingdivineandtranscenden-talintheoveralleffectofthis?Ah,thatisthepoint;with-outexplicitlystatingit,wearemadetofeelthebeautyofthehumansoul,asabridge,ifyouwill,toahigheridea,ahigherpower.Alloftheotherimages,howeverbeauti-ful,wereofnature,butthisis,afterall,ahumanbeing—humanhandsandhumaneyesandbehindthem,asoul.The concluding image suggests being somehow sus-pendedinastatewhichisatoncetriumphant,andalsostrangelypassive,asifintheswayofahigherpower.
Wearenowreadytoreallyappreciatethetrulyre-markablebreakthroughrepresentedbyKeats’greatestodes,“OdetoaNightingale”and“OdeonaGrecianUrn”:
Albrecht Dürer, Melencolia, 1614.
May 10, 2019 EIR LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years 23
Ode to a NightingaleI
MyheartachesandadrowsynumbnesspainsMysense,asthoughofhemlockIhaddrunk,OremptiedsomedullopiatetothedrainsOneminutepast,andLethe-wardshadsunk:’Tisnotthroughenvyofthyhappylot,Butbeingtoohappyinthinehappiness,—Thatthou,light-wingedDryadofthetrees,InsomemelodiousplotOfbeechengreen,andshadowsnumberless,Singestofsummerinfull-throatedease.
IIO,foradraughtofvintage!thathathbeenCool’dalongageinthedeep-delvedearth,TastingofFloraandthecountrygreen,Dance,andProvençalsong,andsunburntmirth!OforabeakerfullofthewarmSouth,Fullofthetrue,theblushfulHippocrene,Withbeadedbubbleswinkingatthebrim,Andpurple-stainedmouth;ThatImightdrink,andleavetheworldunseen,Andwiththeefadeintotheforestdim:
IIIFadefaraway,dissolve,andquiteforgetWhatthouamongtheleaveshastneverknown,Theweariness,thefever,andthefretHere,wheremensitandheareachothergroan;Wherepalsyshakesafewsad,lastgrayhairs,Whereyouthgrowspale,andspectre-thin,anddies;WherebuttothinkistobefullofsorrowAndleaden-eyeddespairs,WhereBeautycannotkeepherlustrouseyes,OrnewLovepineatthembeyondtomorrow.
IVAway!away!forIwillflytothee,NotchariotedbyBacchusandhispards,ButontheviewlesswingsofPoesy,Thoughthedullbrainperplexesandretards:Alreadywiththee!tenderisthenight,AndhaplytheQueen-Moonisonherthrone,Cluster’daroundbyallherstarryFays;Butherethereisnolight,SavewhatfromheaveniswiththebreezesblownThroughverdurousgloomsandwindingmossyways.
VIcannotseewhatflowersareatmyfeet,Norwhatsoftincensehangsupontheboughs,But,inembalmeddarkness,guesseachsweet
WherewiththeseasonablemonthendowsThegrass,thethicket,andthefruit-treewild;Whitehawthorn,andpastoraleglantine;Fastfadingvioletscover’dupinleaves;Andmid-May’seldestchild,Thecomingmusk-rose,fullofdewywine,Themurmuroushauntoffliesonsummereves.
VIDarklingIlisten;and,formanyatimeIhavebeenhalfinlovewitheasefulDeath,Call’dhimsoftnamesinmanyamusedrhyme,Totakeintotheairmyquietbreath;Nowmorethaneverseemsitrichtodie,Toceaseuponthemidnightwithnopain,WhilethouartpouringforththysoulabroadInsuchanecstasy!Stillwouldstthousing,andIhaveearsinvain—Tothyhighrequiembecomeasod.
VIIThouwastnotbornfordeath,immortalBird!Nohungrygenerationstreadtheedown;ThevoiceIhearthispassingnightwasheardInancientdaysbyemperorandclown:Perhapstheself-samesongthatfoundapathThroughthesadheartofRuth,when,sickforhome,Shestoodintearsamidthealiencorn;Thesamethatoft-timeshathCharm’dmagiccasements,openingonthefoamOfperilousseas,infaerylandsforlorn.
VIIIForlorn!theverywordislikeabellTotollmebackfromtheetomysoleself!Adieu!thefancycannotcheatsowellAssheisfam’dtodo,deceivingelf.Adieu!Adieu!thyplaintiveanthemfadesPastthenearmeadows,overthestillstream,Upthehill-side;andnow’tisburieddeepInthenextvalley-glades:Wasitavision,orawakingdream?Fledisthatmusic:—DoIwakeorsleep?
Oneisstruckimmediatelyinthefirststanzabythecontrastbetweenthealmostpitiablestateinwhichhedescribeshimself,andtheutterfreedomandhappinessof the nightingale. There seems to be an almost un-bridgeablegapbetweenthem,forthenightingaleisoffin“somemelodiousplot...,”whichthepoetcannotsee,butonlyimaginefromthesoundwhichreacheshim.Bymeansofthisimage,intenlines,Keatshaspowerfullyconveyed the paradox of our existence—that higher
24 LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years EIR May 10, 2019
stateofunconditionaljoyandconnectednesswhichthesensescanonlyhintat,neveractuallycapturing—andwithanemotionalintensitythatdrivesusonwardtotrytodiscoveranideawhichresolvesthistension.
Inthesecondstanza,wehaveadescriptionofastateofunbridledandunalloyedhappinesswhichseemstobetheanswertothedilemmaposedin“Melancholy,”ofpleasurealwayspassingintopainandlostalmostassoonasitisfelt,butwhichhenowimaginescanbeat-tained if only he could “drink and leave the worldunseen...,”andthroughsomemagicalincantation,jointhenightingaleinthisparadisebeyondthesenses.
The thirdstanza isoneof themostagonizingde-scriptionsofthehumanconditioninallofpoetry;espe-ciallyconsidering thepainand losswhichKeatshadsuffered, it isall themorecompelling,evenpathetic.How,then,canwebridgethisgap?Howcanweattain,inthislife,somemeasureofrealmeaningandhappi-ness ifeverypleasure, like thesandslipping throughourfingers,iscontinuallypassing,humanattachmentsareallultimatelybrokenbydeath,andevenloveseemstobeinconstantorisbetrayed?Keatsheredoessome-thing trulyamazing,anddiscovering justhowheac-complishes it, notonlygoes right to theheartof thebreakthroughthathehadmade,butenablesus,bornealongwithhimbythemagicofhispoetry,tomakethesamebreakthrough.Withtheline,“Away,away,forIwillflytothee,”Keatssimplyrejectsthepainfulandparadoxicalworldofthesenses,and,althoughitmayseemat thispoint likeandartificialdevice toalmostnaively entrust one’s soul to the “viewless wings ofPoesy”totransportit,itiswhathedoesnextthatcon-vinces themindandheart that somethingofgenuinesubstanceisoccurring.
A Force Acting Throughout HistoryAfterrejectinganysortofartificialescapethrough
mere intoxication, “Bacchusandhispards,”and thenreferringtothewayinwhichtheintellect,alone,only“perplexes and retards” thisflightof the spirit,Keatssimplyassertsthatthispowertoconnectwiththeeternalisalreadythereinsideofus,andheisnowawarethatheis“alreadywiththee,”andhasbeentransportedintoarealmwhere,eveniftheeternalisstillinfinitelydistantandotherworldly,itneverthelesstransformshispowerofvision.LikeCarlGauss’complexdomain,anunseen,universalprincipleisshapingthevisibledomain.Thepassage starting with “But here there is no light,”throughtotheendofthefollowingstanza,isoneofthemostpowerfulexamplesofanalmostclairvoyantpoetic
visioneverwritten.Keatsmakesclearthatheisnotac-tuallyseeinganyof thethingshedescribes,nor ishesmellingorhearinganything,butratherapprehending,withanewfoundpowerofpoeticimagination,theob-jectsofthevisibledomain,connectingsomehowwiththeirveryessence.Goneisallofthepainandturmoilofthefirstthreestanzas,andnothingcouldexpressthere-sultingofinnerpeaceandfullnessoflifebetterthan“themurmuroushauntoffliesonSummereves.”
Thisiswhywesenseaninnatetruthfulnessinwhatmightotherwiseseemmorbidorjustweirdinhisthenreferringtodeathinsuchabeautiful,evenlonging,way.Forifwecan,infact,livewiththiseternalqualityinsideofus,ifitisindeedouridentity,deathisnothingtofear,butisonlytheultimateunionofthesoulwithitstrueself.Keatsherehasnotbroughtaboutthisawarenessoftheexistenceofthesoulbyarationalargument,notbyresorttodogmaorbelief,butbymakingusfeelit,po-etically.Buthealsomakesclearthatevenifoneweretodiewhileincommunicationwiththisspirit,thereisstillsomethingaboutthenightingale’ssongthatisbeyondus,andseeminglyunattainable.Ifnotfortheselasttwolines,thepoemmighthavebeenendedhere,ifalesserpoethadwrittenit,butthereisstillsomethingmoretodiscover,somethingmoreKeatswantstosay,anditispreciselyinthisthathissublimeintentionbecomesclear.
Heseemstosuddenlyrealizethatthisspiritismuchbigger thanmerely him and the nightingale, but is aforceactingthroughouthumanhistory,andthatheisconnected,throughit,toeveryotherhumanbeing,whoeverheardit.Theimaginationthenopenswidetotheimplications of the hypothesis, beginningwith “Per-haps...”;everylongingforsomethinggreatornoble,seeminglylostorunattainable,everygreatendeavorofthe human spiritwas inspired by this voice.And its“magical” power can even appear to show the waywhen all hope seems to be lost. In this short space,Keatshasuniversalizedtheideaandconnectedittoallofhumanity,past,presentandfuture,sothattheunionwiththenightingale,whicheludeshimeveninthespir-itual death so beautifully portrayed in the precedingstanza,isnowlocatedinahigherconcept,the“Simul-taneity of Eternity,” that timeless realm inwhich allhumanbeings,throughthepowertocommunicateideasacrosscenturies,evenafterphysicaldeath,areindeedconnected.Althoughitishereglimpsedbutbrieflyandthenfades,leavinghim,andus,wonderingwhetheritwas“avisionorawakingdream....”Wearenowpre-pared,emotionally,todealwithitdirectly,astherulingideaofKeats’immortal“OdeonaGrecianUrn.”
May 10, 2019 EIR LaRoucheDefinestheEarth’sNext50Years 25
Ode on a Grecian Urn
IThoustillunravish’dbrideofquietness,Thoufoster-childofsilenceandslowtime,Sylvanhistorian,whocanstthusexpressAflowerytalemoresweetlythanourrhyme:Whatleaf-fring’dlegendhauntsaboutthyshapeOfdeitiesormortals,orofboth,InTempeorthedalesofArcady?Whatmenorgodsarethese?Whatmaidensloth?Whatmadpursuit?Whatstruggletoescape?Whatpipesandtimbrels?Whatwildecstasy?
IIHeardmelodiesaresweet,butthoseunheardAresweeter;therefore,yesoftpipes,playon;Nottothesensualear,but,moreendear’d,Pipetothespiritdittiesofnotone:Fairyouth,beneaththetrees,thoucanstnotleaveThysong,norevercanthosetreesbebare;BoldLover,never,nevercanstthoukiss,Thoughwinningnearthegoal—yet,donotgrieve;Shecannotfade,thoughthouhastnotthybliss,Foreverwiltthoulove,andshebefair!
IIIAh,happy,happyboughs!thatcannotshedYourleaves,noreverbidtheSpringadieu;And,happymelodist,unwearied,Foreverpipingsongs,forevernew;Morehappylove!morehappy,happylove!Foreverwarmandstilltobeenjoy’d,Foreverpanting,andforeveryoung;Allbreathinghumanpassionfarabove,Thatleavesahearthigh-sorrowfulandcloy’d,Aburningforehead,andaparchingtongue.
IVWhoarethesecomingtothesacrifice?Towhatgreenaltar,Omysteriouspriest,Lead’stthouthatheiferlowingattheskies,Andallhersilkenflankswithgarlandsdrest?Whatlittletownbyriverorseashore,Ormountain-builtwithpeacefulcitadel,Isemptiedofitsfolkthispiousmorn?And,littletown,thystreetsforevermoreWillsilentbe;andnotasoultotellWhythouartdesolate,cane’erreturn.
VOAtticshape!Fairattitude!withbredeOfmarblemenandmaidensoverwrought,Withforestbranchesandthetroddenweed;Thou,silentform,dostteaseusoutofthoughtAsdotheternity:ColdPastoral!Whenoldageshallthisgenerationwaste,Thoushaltremain,inmidstofotherwoeThanours,afriendtoman,towhomthousay’st,“Beautyistruth,truthbeauty,”—thatisallYeknowonearth,andallyeneedtoknow.
Onethingthatisoftenoverlookedaboutthispoem,whichemergeswhenconsideringitsbasicargument,inthelightofwhathasbeendiscussedinthepreviousodes,istheprincipleofinversion;here,theentirepoeticdevicebeinganinversionofthe“Nightingale.”Whereasinthe“Nightingale,” the ineffableprinciplebeingalluded towasheard, but unseen,here,itisseen, but unheard.
Again,Keats,asinthe“Nightingale,”usesthepara-doxesofthesensestoinducethemindtoconceptualizeaprinciplecompletelyoutsidetheworldofthesenses,yetwhichexistswith,andworksthrough,thosesensualobjects,inthesamewaythatweexperienceaClassi-callycomposedmusicalwork;theoverallideaofthepiececanneverbecontainedinonenoteorsuccessionofnotes,yetcouldneverbearrivedatexceptthroughexperiencing the paradoxes, the ironies, generatedamongthem,asthepiecedevelops.ThisistheunityoftheOnewiththeManydiscussedbyPlato,NicholasofCusa,andLeibniz,andrigorouslyproventoexistasthe“ComplexDomain”byCarlGauss.
Inthe“Nightingale,”Keatscutstothechaseimme-diately.Afterdescribingtheobjectheisplacingbeforeour imagination,andstatingthat this“brideofquiet-
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ness”isgoingtosaysomethingtouswhichcan’tbecapturedinwords,representingthecruxoftheparadoxuponwhich thewholepoemisbased,hesimplyandbeautifullystates,“Heardmelodiesaresweet,butthoseunheardaresweeter,”thusliftingusintotherealmoftheimagination,itseems,effortlessly.
Andwhereaswefeelasharpeningofmelancholyatthethoughtofthelossofbeautyandpleasurethatisines-capablyboundupwithmortality,asinthe“OdeonIndo-lence”andthe“OdeonMelancholy,”ortheagonizingpathosofthethirdstanzaofthe“OdetoaNightingale,”weareherepresentedwiththeinversionofthatparadox;forthefiguresontheurnareforeverfrozeninthemomentof the highest pleasure and happiness, just before itsactual attainment, beyond change, beyond death. The“boldlover”cannotactuallyevergetwhatheseeks,actu-allyexperience thesensualpleasurehedesires,but itsobjectcanneverfadeordie.Thisforcesthemindtofreeitselffromthesensesandidentifywiththeeternal.
There is something socompelling in this imageofeternallove,happiness,evenoftheeternallyfresh,cre-ativeoutpouringsofmusicfromaneternallyyoungheart,thatwearetemptedtowanttoexistinthisidyllicuniversewiththemuntil,inthelastthreelinesofstanzaIII,wearesuddenlyremindedofourmortalidentityandthatanun-bridgeablegapseparatesusfromthisworld“farabove,”andwhichleavesusvainlystrivingafteritwitha“burn-ingforeheadandaparchingtongue.”Arewe,therefore,stuckbackinthesameconditionasattheendof“Night-ingale”?Isthisineffableprincipleforeverglimpsedonlyfleetingly,foreverescapingusasinadream?
ConsidercarefullywhatKeatsdoesnext.InstanzaIV,wearesuddenlyreminded that this is,afterall,areligiousceremony,asacrifice,andthatthesearedepic-tionsofwhatwereoncerealpeople.Keatsthendoessomething which causes great consternation, whenconsideredinlogicalordeductiveterms,butwhichres-onateson thedeeper levelofmetaphorical truth inanecessaryway,andwhichisthecruxofnotonlythisentirepoem,butalsotheentiretyoftheprocessKeatsembarkedonwiththeannouncementofhis“mission”inthe“OdetoPsyche.”
To Continue To Live Through UsBypersonifyinga“littletown”whichisn’tevende-
pictedontheurn,butexistsentirelyinourimagination,andcausingustofeelthesenseoflossofthephysicalpresenceofthesehumanbeings,weareatonceenabledtoconceptualizeboththemelancholyfactthattheyarephysicallydead,lostforever,butyetexistsomewhere,
asiftheymightcomeback,andsincewehavealreadyexperiencedsuchapowerfulandvitaleffectfromthem,evenasfrozenimagesontheurn,wereallyhaveanim-plicitidea,whichisbothintellectual,andfeltdeeply,emotionally,thattheyexistinatimeless,yetever-beau-tiful andcreativeplace,whichcan speak tous, evenoverthousandsofyears!
The emotion evoked is agapē—love, not just forpeople,butfortheideaofhumanity,andtheimageofthelittletowntakesusentirelyoutofthesensualworldintotheworldoftheimaginationinthehighestexpres-sionoftruemetaphor.
WhenKeatsexpresseshiswonderand joyat thisprofounddiscoverybeingcommunicatedbymeansofacold, dead object, and proclaims his famous dictum,“Beautyistruth,truthBeauty,”weknowthatitistrue,and feel that it is beautiful.But could that statementmeananything tous ifmerelyutteredalone,withouthaving gone through the process of discoverywhichthispoemrepresents?AndcouldthispoemmeanhalfasmuchtousifwehadnotgonethroughthejourneywithKeatsfromhisindistinctproclamationofaninten-tionin“OdetoPsyche,”throughthesoul-searchingandrestless drive to discover the immortal in ourselveswhichcharacterizestheotherthreeodes?
So, we contemplate the One, the entire processwhichunfoldedinthesepoemswithwonderandamaze-ment,notonlyattheprofundityofit,butthepassionwhichgrippedKeatsashepouredforththisbeauty,allinafewweeksinthatSpringof1819,atage24.Arewenotupliftedandspirituallyempoweredtocomprehendandactupontheboldestandmostuniversalideascon-cerningmankind? It is not necessary for the poet toprodustoanyparticularaction,ortomoralizeuponanyparticulardefect inourselvesorsocietywhenwearemovedonthislevel,forwewillfeelandknow“instinc-tively”thatitiswhatcontributesto,ordetractsfrom,thisideaofhumanity,whichconstitutesgoodorevil.
Emotionallyblocked,academicpunditsand“touchy-feely”RomanticswillneverbeabletounderstandKeatsforjustthisreason.Truerepublicanpoliticalorganizingisonthislevel—theissueofwhatittrulymeanstobehuman, your place, therefore, in the Simultaneity ofEternity,whichconnectsyoutoallhumanity,past,pres-ent,andfuture,andyourmissioninthemomentofhis-tory inwhich youfind yourself.That iswhy nothingcouldbemorebeautifulthanforKeatstonotonlyspeaktous,butcontinuetolivethroughus,energizingandin-spiringourongoingfightforamorebeautifulhumanity.
ThisistheSublime.
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