A discussion on two different interpreteations of John Keat's "Ode to a Nightingale"

John Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale" is intricate in detail whilst maintaining its ability to allow many different readings from its readers even whilst its own statements are quite precise. One very common reading of the ode is to see the nightingale as a symbol of poetic inspiration and fulfillment. This is displayed by Keats's descriptions of the nightingale and his use of imagery that links closely with that of inspiration. Thus, the poem is …

…Publishers Ltd. - The Poetry of John Keats by Haskell, Dennis. First published in 1991 by Sydney University Press in association with Oxford University Press - Introduction to Keats by Walsh, William. First published in 1981 by Methuen & Co. Ltd - Brodie's Notes: Selected Poems and Letters, John Keats by Handley, Graham. First published in 1978 by Pan Books Ltd - Critics on Keats edited by O'Neill, Judith. First published in 1967 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd